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  • know1
    know1 Posts: 6,801
    Currently reading "The Alchemist", "Payment in Blood" and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea"
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • PJ_Soul
    PJ_Soul Vancouver, BC Posts: 50,657
    edited January 2014
    Jarhead by Anthony Swofford. It's very good! Yes, they made that Jake Gyllenhaal movie from it. The book is better (they changed a lot of details in the movie I think to make the author more of a hero, or at least less of a drunk (the author is the main character - the book is an autobiography of Swofford's time in the Marines as a sniper, through the Gulf War). Anyway, enjoying the book. Very interesting perspective and Swofford is a good writer. It's his true story, but he writes it in the style of a novel, really. Very cool. image
    Post edited by PJ_Soul on
    With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be careful. Strive to be happy. ~ Desiderata
  • kw18
    kw18 Posts: 3,909
    kw18 said:

    Now I'm wrapping up this:
    image

    If you're at all interested in the brain or how strokes can affect someone, you should absolutely pick this up. It's a quick and fascinating read.

    Finished this book up a couple days ago. Toward the middle it felt like she was padding it, but then it wrapped up nicely. Great book for anyone who is curious about the brain, or has a loved one who has suffered a stroke.

    Now I'm reading this:
    image

    This is one of my all-time favorite shows, and I always loved how grounded the show felt despite being set mostly in space. This is a pretty good read so far, explaining the sciencey things in detail the show didn't want to take the time for because it was more concerned with little stuff like characters, storyline and drama. :-P
    "Where's KW?"
    "Let's check Idaho."
  • smarchee
    smarchee Windsor, Ontario Posts: 14,539
    PJ_Soul said:

    Jarhead by Anthony Swofford. It's very good! Yes, they made that Jake Gyllenhaal movie from it. The book is better (they changed a lot of details in the movie I think to make the author more of a hero, or at least less of a drunk (the author is the main character - the book is an autobiography of Swofford's time in the Marines as a sniper, through the Gulf War). Anyway, enjoying the book. Very interesting perspective and Swofford is a good writer. It's his true story, but he writes it in the style of a novel, really. Very cool. image

    I've read that, it was a good read :)
    1998 ~ Barrie
    2003 ~ Toronto
    2005 ~ London, Toronto
    2006 ~ Toronto
    2008 ~ Hartford, Mansfied I,
    2009 ~ Toronto, Chicago I, Chicago II
    2010 ~ Cleveland, Buffalo
    2011 ~ Toronto I, Toronto II, Ottawa, Hamilton
    2013 - London, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
    2014 - Detroit
    2019 - Chicago X 2
  • jervin007
    jervin007 Posts: 3,182
    Just finished Brian Sandersons "The Way Of Kings." Pretty solid book, but a little drawn out. Sets up a potentially great sequel coming out in March.

    Sanderson finished Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series after he passed. Very good writer.
    PJ:
    2003 Mansfield: July 2
    2004 Boston: Sept 28 & 29
    2005 Montreal: Sept 15
    2006 Boston: May 24 & 25
    2008 Hartford: June 27, Mansfield: June 28,
    2010 Boston: May 17
    2013 Worcester: Oct 15, Hartford: Oct 25,
    2016 Hampton: April 18, Raleigh: April 20 (cancelled), Columbia: April 21. Quebec: May 5. Boston (Fenway): August 7

    EV Solo: Boston 8/2/08, Boston 6/16/11
  • F Me In The Brain
    F Me In The Brain this knows everybody from other commets Posts: 31,801
    jervin007 said:

    Just finished Brian Sandersons "The Way Of Kings." Pretty solid book, but a little drawn out. Sets up a potentially great sequel coming out in March.

    Sanderson finished Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series after he passed. Very good writer.

    I loved TWOK, thought it was wildly imaginative.
    The love he receives is the love that is saved
  • 23scidoo
    23scidoo Thessaloniki,Greece Posts: 19,945
    ''The ocean at the end of the lane'' by Neil Gaiman
    Athens 2006. Dusseldorf 2007. Berlin 2009. Venice 2010. Amsterdam 1 2012. Amsterdam 1+2 2014. Buenos Aires 2015.
    Prague Krakow Berlin 2018. Berlin 2022
    EV, Taormina 1+2 2017.

    I wish i was the souvenir you kept your house key on..
  • afroannnie
    afroannnie Posts: 12,995

    Finished up Dreamcatcher (1st book of 2014)...not my favorite Stephen King book, but there were some interesting parts.
    Now reading:
    image

    Finished up this..honestly it wasn't my fave Vonnegut book...

    Just started this:
    image

    Show #13 was a lucky one for me....
  • jervin007
    jervin007 Posts: 3,182

    jervin007 said:

    Just finished Brian Sandersons "The Way Of Kings." Pretty solid book, but a little drawn out. Sets up a potentially great sequel coming out in March.

    Sanderson finished Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series after he passed. Very good writer.

    I loved TWOK, thought it was wildly imaginative.
    Dont' get me wrong, I enjoyed the book. Very creative and great character development, but very slow at times. Really not a lot of action until the last 100 pages, in a 1200 page paperback book. However, now that Kaladin, Dalinar, shallan, and szeth have found their roles in the story I really look forward to the next book. I am curious to see what happens with some of the secondary characters that had a chapter or two in the book.

    Now I just have to finish the wheel of time series. Been working on that for twenty years. Now that its finally finished I am trying to read the whole thing. Kept forgetting characters and the intricacies of the plot in the years between book releases.

    PJ:
    2003 Mansfield: July 2
    2004 Boston: Sept 28 & 29
    2005 Montreal: Sept 15
    2006 Boston: May 24 & 25
    2008 Hartford: June 27, Mansfield: June 28,
    2010 Boston: May 17
    2013 Worcester: Oct 15, Hartford: Oct 25,
    2016 Hampton: April 18, Raleigh: April 20 (cancelled), Columbia: April 21. Quebec: May 5. Boston (Fenway): August 7

    EV Solo: Boston 8/2/08, Boston 6/16/11
  • dankind
    dankind Posts: 20,841

    Finished up Dreamcatcher (1st book of 2014)...not my favorite Stephen King book, but there were some interesting parts.
    Now reading:
    image

    Finished up this..honestly it wasn't my fave Vonnegut book...
    Not one of my favorites either. But even his stinkers (Slapstick, Deadeye Dick) are better than most books out there, imho.
    I SAW PEARL JAM
  • F Me In The Brain
    F Me In The Brain this knows everybody from other commets Posts: 31,801
    jervin007 said:

    jervin007 said:

    Just finished Brian Sandersons "The Way Of Kings." Pretty solid book, but a little drawn out. Sets up a potentially great sequel coming out in March.

    Sanderson finished Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series after he passed. Very good writer.

    I loved TWOK, thought it was wildly imaginative.
    Dont' get me wrong, I enjoyed the book. Very creative and great character development, but very slow at times. Really not a lot of action until the last 100 pages, in a 1200 page paperback book. However, now that Kaladin, Dalinar, shallan, and szeth have found their roles in the story I really look forward to the next book. I am curious to see what happens with some of the secondary characters that had a chapter or two in the book.

    Now I just have to finish the wheel of time series. Been working on that for twenty years. Now that its finally finished I am trying to read the whole thing. Kept forgetting characters and the intricacies of the plot in the years between book releases.

    Nice, I read all but the last 3 or 4 of them in a row. Ran out of them to read and haven't gone back to read the others, although they are in my 'to read' pile.
    The love he receives is the love that is saved
  • afroannnie
    afroannnie Posts: 12,995
    dankind said:

    Finished up Dreamcatcher (1st book of 2014)...not my favorite Stephen King book, but there were some interesting parts.
    Now reading:
    image

    Finished up this..honestly it wasn't my fave Vonnegut book...
    Not one of my favorites either. But even his stinkers (Slapstick, Deadeye Dick) are better than most books out there, imho.
    I agree. I read Galapagos recently and I thought that book was much better. I think possibly for God Bless you Mr. Rosewater some of the satire didn't translate from '65 until now...

    I finished a Stroke of Insight. I agree with my hubby's review. It's definitely an interesting book from many perspectives. It's interesting to understand the thought process that occurs during and after a stroke from a neuroanatomist. She also lends helpful advice in living a happier life. Although, at the end the repetitiveness about the benefits of the right brain seemed like she was padding the book. I do think it could be very helpful for anyone with a loved one that has suffered a stroke.

    I plan on starting to read this book next:

    image
    Show #13 was a lucky one for me....
  • Who Princess
    Who Princess out here in the fields Posts: 7,305
    Based on ya'll's reviews, I think I need to check out Stroke of Insight. My MIL had a TIA in October and I'd like to learn more about strokes.
    "The stars are all connected to the brain."
  • kw18
    kw18 Posts: 3,909
    kw18 said:



    Now I'm reading this:
    image

    This is one of my all-time favorite shows, and I always loved how grounded the show felt despite being set mostly in space. This is a pretty good read so far, explaining the sciencey things in detail the show didn't want to take the time for because it was more concerned with little stuff like characters, storyline and drama. :-P

    Not a bad read, with great explanations connecting what was shown on the show and real world science.

    Now I'm diving back into the Barsoom series ...

    image
    "Where's KW?"
    "Let's check Idaho."
  • kw18
    kw18 Posts: 3,909

    Based on ya'll's reviews, I think I need to check out Stroke of Insight. My MIL had a TIA in October and I'd like to learn more about strokes.

    It's a good book for general interest, no doubt, but it really is geared toward those with loved ones who have experienced a stroke. I recommend for you.
    "Where's KW?"
    "Let's check Idaho."
  • Newch91
    Newch91 Posts: 17,560
    Just read this. How many of you have dealt with these before? #1 is most common for me. 7 also. I'm waiting for 12.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/10/book-lover_n_4562002.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

    19 Quirky Conundrums Only Book Lovers Understand

    1. Finding a comfortable reading position is a never-ending quest. Chair or bed? Side or back? In a box? With a fox?

    2. On airplanes, you hesitantly flick on the overhead light while everyone else is napping.

    3. Paper cuts may look like minor injuries, but the pain can be excruciating.

    4. Walking and reading at the same time requires hand-eye coordination only professional athletes have been endowed with.

    5. What on earth are you supposed to do with the jacket on a hardcover while you're reading it? Keep it on and risk damaging it? Take it off and store it in a weird nook, never to find it again?

    6. Deciding what to read is a choice that presents you with an embarrassment of riches.

    7. The typeface and page length of a book can seriously impact your reading experience, sometimes for the worse (sans-serif font is a huge no-no).

    8. A book can be composed of the worst drivel you've ever laid eyes on, you're still afflicted with major guilt when you banish it to the "I Will Never Ever Ever Finish This. Like, Ever." shelf.

    9. You lament time that you've wasted in the past; all of those hours scouring celebrity Twitters could have been put towards finally reading Moby Dick!

    10. Some people count down the minutes until their lunch hour; you count down the minutes until Jeffery Eugenides or Donna Tartt releases their next book (roughly 5 million for Tartt, but who's counting?!)

    11. Finishing a book you loved is like saying goodbye to a good friend. You've been through so much together! And while you may see each other again, it won't be quite the same.

    12. Forget finding roommates; the most stressful thing about moving is figuring out a way to transport boxes upon boxes of heavy books.

    13. You're constantly rethinking your bookshelf strategy. Should you color-coordinate, or take a more practical approach, such as publication date or alphabetization? Or, if you're feeling ambitious, should you tackle the autobiographical bookshelf, à la Rob Gordon from High Fidelity?

    14. Your mood is directly impacted by the mood of the book that you're reading; your friends have learned to avoid you during Dostoyevsky months or Bret Easton Ellis weeks.

    15. You take found books home like abandoned puppies, chirping, "Can we keep it?!" That'd be well and good if it didn't happen once a day.

    16. One does not simply walk by a bookstore. One must poke around, at the very least, and one usually ends up filling one's tote bag with more books than one can carry.

    17. "I don't read" is a relationship death knell, akin to "I loathe my mother" or "I enjoy upsetting kittens."

    18. You may or may not own two (or three or four) copies of a beloved book. You can't help it, the redesigned covers are irresistible!

    19. Laundry day and other important obligations get completely overlooked when you're in the middle of a great, un-put-downable book. "Same shirt Saturday"? Sorry you're not sorry.
    Shows: 6.27.08 Hartford, CT/5.15.10 Hartford, CT/6.18.2011 Hartford, CT (EV Solo)/10.19.13 Brooklyn/10.25.13 Hartford
    "Becoming a Bruce fan is like hitting puberty as a musical fan. It's inevitable." - dcfaithful
  • SD48277
    SD48277 Posts: 12,243
    ^^^ I can identify with many on that list. #17 is the relationship deal-breaker.
    ELITIST FUK
  • kw18
    kw18 Posts: 3,909
    Newch91 said:

    Just read this. How many of you have dealt with these before? #1 is most common for me. 7 also. I'm waiting for 12.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/10/book-lover_n_4562002.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

    19 Quirky Conundrums Only Book Lovers Understand
    ....


    Absolutely agree with all these!
    "Where's KW?"
    "Let's check Idaho."
  • Who Princess
    Who Princess out here in the fields Posts: 7,305
    I've gone through #11 a few times recently. Books I've enjoyed so much I hated for them to end. :(
    "The stars are all connected to the brain."
  • F Me In The Brain
    F Me In The Brain this knows everybody from other commets Posts: 31,801
    edited January 2014
    Great list, most of them were applicable for me.
    #8 is something I wish I could get past.
    #12 --- as I moved from CA to NJ I gave away boxes and boxes and boxes of books. Knew I would be living in an APT for 6 months while we looked for a house and it killed me to do it but I managed to find good homes with interested readers for hundreds and hundreds of books. Have to admit that I ended up taking a few hundred to my local library and left for them to book sale them or shelve them. (Hoping most got put on shelves)
    Now that I have a house & plenty of room I have already exceeded the bookshelves that we have so some sort of plan needs to be enacted. I cannot 'e-read' --- guess I am like the vinyl folks on Lost Dogs. I am wondering what I will do with all of my 'friends' now.
    Big readers -- how do you store your books?
    The love he receives is the love that is saved