Harvest for Hope by Jane Goodall
The Maytrees by Annie Dillard
There is no such thing as leftover pizza. There is now pizza and later pizza. - anonymous The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
not if you have family members who think it's real and tell an addict "oh well james frey kicked crack just by sucking it up, why cant you just quit?"
the book was a 400 page blowjob he gave himself. he was too cool, too badass, too perfect. he's every dumb broad's dream tough guy... a real hardass with a drug problem who turns his life around on sheer manliness for a woman. yeah fucking right. not a single person in his entire rehab was a decent human being or knew shit about beating addiction besides him, if you take his writing for it. it was a complete crock of shit from start to finish, a big self-congratulatory pat on the back that sends the message to mass america that your addicted loved one could quit if they were as tough as james frey, but they're just weak-willed pussies that can't beat addiciton like he did. and it's passed off as reality to people who don't know the difference and now think they know something about the hell of addiction becos they read an oprah book.
as a novel, sure, it's a good read. but as a real portrait of recovery from addiction, it's about as realistic as the saved by the bell pill-popping episode. his playing with the facts weren't the most important changes. i never cared about the episodes he altered for dramatic effect. i understand that exaggeration from a writer's standpoint. it's the whole attitude and current running throughout... the unrealistic "frey knows more than every drug counselor in hazelden combined" bullshit that bothered me. i know people who are really like that. it's a good way to get dead. i know for a fact he wasn't like that and it's selling a very dangerous message to people who think it's a real path to beating their demons.
Just got done A Thousand Splendid Suns - it was really good, but definitely preferred Kite Runner better.
Going to dig into a little Stephen King for a bit and read Different Seasons which is a collection of short stories that the Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me and Apt Pupil came from.
I'm almost done with The Husband by Dean Koontz (trashy killer novel). But, this morning I ordered a couple books from Amazon...I am anxiously awaiting their arrival. They are:
The Namesake
The Mormon Conspiracy (I became fascinated by Mormons after reading Under the Banner of Heaven)
Sidenote: Is "arrival" spelled correctly?? It looks weird for some reason!!
This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper
I'm almost done with The Husband by Dean Koontz (trashy killer novel). But, this morning I ordered a couple books from Amazon...I am anxiously awaiting their arrival. They are:
The Namesake
The Mormon Conspiracy (I became fascinated by Mormons after reading Under the Banner of Heaven)
Sidenote: Is "arrival" spelled correctly?? It looks weird for some reason!!
You need to visit Salt Lake City. It was just a surreal place when I went there about 15 years ago. I couldn't a coke or a pepsi anywhere because Mormons don't drink caffeine. Plus the whole idea that sea gulls have a place of honor there is weird - especially since I hate sea gulls.
i just finished the glass castle and HIGHLY recommend it. it reminded me of a mix of two of my favorite books - a tree grows in brooklyn and angela's ashes. i seem to have a thing for books with drunk but loving irish fathers. lol
i just started water for elephants...so far so good. after that i'll be finally reading into the wild so that i can catch up with the rest of the pit!
amentschick, you know i'll be reading the namesake and your mormon book if you give them the thumbs up! you're my official book-recommender...haha
i just finished the glass castle and HIGHLY recommend it. it reminded me of a mix of two of my favorite books - a tree grows in brooklyn and angela's ashes. i seem to have a thing for books with drunk but loving irish fathers. lol
i just started water for elephants...so far so good. after that i'll be finally reading into the wild so that i can catch up with the rest of the pit!
amentschick, you know i'll be reading the namesake and your mormon book if you give them the thumbs up! you're my official book-recommender...haha
It's what I'm reading after the Stephen King book.
It'a an autobiographical account of the author growing up in Brooklyn with his alcoholic Irish father. I know you're a football fan - Sal Paolantonio recommended this to me when I took a sports journalism class a couple summers ago, but I never got around to reading it until now.
i just finished the glass castle and HIGHLY recommend it. it reminded me of a mix of two of my favorite books - a tree grows in brooklyn and angela's ashes. i seem to have a thing for books with drunk but loving irish fathers. lol
i just started water for elephants...so far so good. after that i'll be finally reading into the wild so that i can catch up with the rest of the pit!
amentschick, you know i'll be reading the namesake and your mormon book if you give them the thumbs up! you're my official book-recommender...haha
Is Glass Castle an autobiography?? I actually had it in my "shopping cart" (I think that was the right book) but traded it out for the Mormon one. Also, I saw Water for Elephants but the whole circus thing freaked me out. I HATE circuses (except for Cirque de Solei)
LMAO! WOW! I'm completely honored at the title!! How about this, though...how about if I just send them to you when I'm done??
Nic, have you read Under the Banner??? My all-time favorite book.
This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper
You need to visit Salt Lake City. It was just a surreal place when I went there about 15 years ago. I couldn't a coke or a pepsi anywhere because Mormons don't drink caffeine. Plus the whole idea that sea gulls have a place of honor there is weird - especially since I hate sea gulls.
I have no desire to go to Utah...I have a friend that lived there and she told me you have to "join" a bar in order to drink there....like memberships are required or some such craziness. Also, I had a roommate that was Mormon..at least she was when I first met her. By the time we parted ways she was out partying every night and had moved in with her Marine boyfriend.
This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper
Is Glass Castle an autobiography?? I actually had it in my "shopping cart" (I think that was the right book) but traded it out for the Mormon one. Also, I saw Water for Elephants but the whole circus thing freaked me out. I HATE circuses (except for Cirque de Solei)
LMAO! WOW! I'm completely honored at the title!! How about this, though...how about if I just send them to you when I'm done??
Nic, have you read Under the Banner??? My all-time favorite book.
yep, glass castle is a 'memoir', i think she calls it. it was really well written...very matter-of-fact, subtle humor about her situation growing up.
i'll let you know about water for elephants and whether there are any scary clowns...haha.
i haven't read under the banner. actually, i don't think i've even heard of it?
just a hunch on the clowns.
i don't know how i missed it! i'll add it to the list!
Yup, I have an irrational fear of circus clowns. Don't tell anyone.
Just be forewarned, UtBoH has alot of US history to it. At parts it becomes less interesting, keep sticking with it through the boring historical mumbo jumbo, I promise you'll enjoy it.
This is the greatest band in the world -- Ben Harper
Runner's world book of running. They recommend drugs instead of decreasing mileage if a person has Amenorrhea. That must be one die hard runner doctor.
There is no such thing as leftover pizza. There is now pizza and later pizza. - anonymous The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
how was it? i read hell house and liked it alot. i have yet to pick up i am legend though.
i just started the boy detective fails.
I liked it. The first 170 pages are "I am Legend" and the rest of it was short stories. The stories were kind of hit or miss. "I am Legend" was the best story in it.
Comments
I have been thinking of reading that for some time. How is it? I loved the movie. Of course, I have a soft spot for Steve McQueen
I'm reading "The Secret River" by Kate Grenville. Excellent!
I will check it out after my Harry Potter marathon.
Well, I've only just started it. But I love books about escape e.t.c. I'm planning to read the Count of Monte Cristo this year aswell.
The only version I have read of the Count was some condensed version that someone had at a cottage. I would like to read the actual book.
Papillon seems like a great read.
...are those who've helped us.
Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
The Maytrees by Annie Dillard
The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
Can anyone advise which is the best version of War and Peace, i.e. Penguin, Wordsworth or whatever...?
Cheers
My wife is doing the same thing. She is on the sixth book right now.
Going to dig into a little Stephen King for a bit and read Different Seasons which is a collection of short stories that the Shawshank Redemption, Stand by Me and Apt Pupil came from.
- 8/28/98
- 9/2/00
- 4/28/03, 5/3/03, 7/3/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03
- 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 10/2/04
- 9/11/05, 9/12/05, 9/13/05, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05
- 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 5/30/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/23/06, 7/22/06, 7/23/06, 12/2/06, 12/9/06
- 8/2/07, 8/5/07
- 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/22/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 7/1/08
- 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 9/21/09, 9/22/09, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09
- 5/15/10, 5/17/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10, 10/23/10, 10/24/10
- 9/11/11, 9/12/11
- 10/18/13, 10/21/13, 10/22/13, 11/30/13, 12/4/13
The Namesake
The Mormon Conspiracy (I became fascinated by Mormons after reading Under the Banner of Heaven)
Sidenote: Is "arrival" spelled correctly?? It looks weird for some reason!!
You need to visit Salt Lake City. It was just a surreal place when I went there about 15 years ago. I couldn't a coke or a pepsi anywhere because Mormons don't drink caffeine. Plus the whole idea that sea gulls have a place of honor there is weird - especially since I hate sea gulls.
- 8/28/98
- 9/2/00
- 4/28/03, 5/3/03, 7/3/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03
- 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 10/2/04
- 9/11/05, 9/12/05, 9/13/05, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05
- 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 5/30/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/23/06, 7/22/06, 7/23/06, 12/2/06, 12/9/06
- 8/2/07, 8/5/07
- 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/22/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 7/1/08
- 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 9/21/09, 9/22/09, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09
- 5/15/10, 5/17/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10, 10/23/10, 10/24/10
- 9/11/11, 9/12/11
- 10/18/13, 10/21/13, 10/22/13, 11/30/13, 12/4/13
i just started water for elephants...so far so good. after that i'll be finally reading into the wild so that i can catch up with the rest of the pit!
amentschick, you know i'll be reading the namesake and your mormon book if you give them the thumbs up! you're my official book-recommender...haha
Then you should like this then:
http://www.amazon.com/Drinking-Life-Memoir-Pete-Hamill/dp/0316341029/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-6085384-0356161?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184024805&sr=8-1
A Drinking Life by Pete Hamill
It's what I'm reading after the Stephen King book.
It'a an autobiographical account of the author growing up in Brooklyn with his alcoholic Irish father. I know you're a football fan - Sal Paolantonio recommended this to me when I took a sports journalism class a couple summers ago, but I never got around to reading it until now.
- 8/28/98
- 9/2/00
- 4/28/03, 5/3/03, 7/3/03, 7/5/03, 7/6/03, 7/9/03, 7/11/03, 7/12/03, 7/14/03
- 9/28/04, 9/29/04, 10/1/04, 10/2/04
- 9/11/05, 9/12/05, 9/13/05, 9/30/05, 10/1/05, 10/3/05
- 5/12/06, 5/13/06, 5/27/06, 5/28/06, 5/30/06, 6/1/06, 6/3/06, 6/23/06, 7/22/06, 7/23/06, 12/2/06, 12/9/06
- 8/2/07, 8/5/07
- 6/19/08, 6/20/08, 6/22/08, 6/24/08, 6/25/08, 6/27/08, 6/28/08, 6/30/08, 7/1/08
- 8/23/09, 8/24/09, 9/21/09, 9/22/09, 10/27/09, 10/28/09, 10/30/09, 10/31/09
- 5/15/10, 5/17/10, 5/18/10, 5/20/10, 5/21/10, 10/23/10, 10/24/10
- 9/11/11, 9/12/11
- 10/18/13, 10/21/13, 10/22/13, 11/30/13, 12/4/13
Is Glass Castle an autobiography?? I actually had it in my "shopping cart" (I think that was the right book) but traded it out for the Mormon one. Also, I saw Water for Elephants but the whole circus thing freaked me out. I HATE circuses (except for Cirque de Solei)
LMAO! WOW! I'm completely honored at the title!!
Nic, have you read Under the Banner??? My all-time favorite book.
I have no desire to go to Utah...I have a friend that lived there and she told me you have to "join" a bar in order to drink there....like memberships are required or some such craziness. Also, I had a roommate that was Mormon..at least she was when I first met her. By the time we parted ways she was out partying every night and had moved in with her Marine boyfriend.
i'll let you know about water for elephants and whether there are any scary clowns...haha.
i haven't read under the banner. actually, i don't think i've even heard of it?
OMG!! How did you know about my fear of circus clowns?!!! That's exactly what it is!! FREAKY SHIT, I tell you!
Under the Banner, where have you been?!! :rolleyes: I thought for sure YOU would have read this! You seem to know all the good books!!
i don't know how i missed it! i'll add it to the list!
Yup, I have an irrational fear of circus clowns. Don't tell anyone.
Just be forewarned, UtBoH has alot of US history to it. At parts it becomes less interesting, keep sticking with it through the boring historical mumbo jumbo, I promise you'll enjoy it.
Now reading a great seriel killer book called "Dead Sleep" by Greg Iles.
how was it? i read hell house and liked it alot. i have yet to pick up i am legend though.
i just started the boy detective fails.
Sir Mike McCready is....THE MASTER!!! WAHHH!!!
EVENFLOW PSYCHOS H.N.I.C~FEEL THE FLOW!!!
"Pearl Jam fans are obsessed, they'd see the boys in HELL if tickets were sold."-CROJAM95
It takes balls to put out a UKE album!
The risk I took was calculated, but man, am I bad at math - The Mincing Mockingbird
I liked it. The first 170 pages are "I am Legend" and the rest of it was short stories. The stories were kind of hit or miss. "I am Legend" was the best story in it.
and - A Purpose Driven Life