The Books/Reading Thread

[EspaDa]

Both great books. Growth of the Soil is a great read, man, reading about pristine lands of Norway would give me chills down the spine a few years ago.

 

[Einherjar86]

Never read Hamsun, but I'd like to get to him someday. I attended a symposium entirely on Karl Ove's My Struggle a few months back and Hamsun came up a few times. Both authors seem worth visiting.

Went to a used bookstore in my old hometown and picked up a few goodies.

Already own this one, but picked it up because it's a 25-anniversary edition with an introduction by Richard Powers (for $5, why not):

And speaking of Richard Powers...

Found this, which will be handy for fleshing out the final draft of my dissertation:

And finally, a classic work of literary theory:

 

[The Ozzman]

White Noise is on my 'to re-read' list along with like 15 others

What I'm currently reading:

What I've completed this year:

(free with my Prime account so I figured why not?)

Full trilogy in one volume

 

[Einherjar86]

White Noise is on my 'to re-read' list along with like 15 others

May I suggest ditching The Art of the Deal and replacing it with White Noise?

Actually, I'm not saying that out of dislike for Trump. I've read The Art of the Deal. It's an exercise in self-indulgence disguised as a "how to be successful" book. A crucial element of being successful like Trump is knowing the right people. I believe he mentions that on more than one occasion--"You have to know the right people." As though this is somehow an achievement for a man whose father was a notable figure in the community. It's pretty funny.

 

[The Ozzman]

May I suggest ditching The Art of the Deal and replacing it with White Noise?

I already completed The Art of the Deal

There's so much I want to read man. I wish I could get paid to do it.

 

[TageRyche]

I finished an advance copy of the Vince Flynn / Kyle Mills thriller Enemy of the State.

 

[Dak]

Finished this as a summer reading project (Really involved like a few hours over 2 days of focused reading). Was a nice counter to more conspiracyish stuff I had read some years ago (Don't let the title fool you). Next on the list: The Tipping Point.

 

[CiG]

> "You have to know the right people"

He wasn't even good at that, knowing your own father isn't an achievement.

Unless you're black.

 

[Einherjar86]

Finished this as a summer reading project (Really involved like a few hours over 2 days of focused reading). Was a nice counter to more conspiracyish stuff I had read some years ago (Don't let the title fool you). Next on the list: The Tipping Point.

Is this for research, or personal interest (can be both, of course).

 

[Dak]

Is this for research, or personal interest (can be both, of course).

Mostly personal interest. I had stumbled on it working on a class paper about military psychology and ethics but didn't have the time at the time to read and incorporate it. I started it earlier in the summer and suddenly realized I was running out of time and forced myself to sit with it for a few hours and finish it.

 

[Doomguy]

Shit, I want to read that Swedish DM book Ozz posted now. I read Lords of Chaos a few months ago and found it to be very over-hyped and mediocre.

EDIT: I've also read recently

 

[The Ozzman]

Shit, I want to read that Swedish DM book Ozz posted now. I read Lords of Chaos a few months ago and found it to be very over-hyped and mediocre.

It probably doesn't contain anything that all the old timers didn't already know (ones that have been listening to death metal since that scene existed), but I figured I should give it a read since I'm into the genre.

I have the original and expanded version of Lords of Chaos and I want to read it again only because I don't remember most of it anymore....I read it like 15 years ago.

 

[Einherjar86]

Damn, some heavy material there (@Raoul Duke). Good stuff though.

I've yet to read any Palahniuk, although he's been recommended to me multiple times. He strikes me as a kind of godchild of J.G. Ballard, Kathy Acker, and Bret Easton Ellis, which leads me to believe I'd appreciate his work while simultaneously finding it a bit hackneyed. Might give him a try someday.

 

[rms]

Survivor or Invisible Monsters are his best imo

 

[Dak]

Sat down and read The Tipping Point this morning. Pretty easy read, but I think it could have easily been 1/2-1/3 shorter and still get the same point across thanks to a serious amount of repetition. That said, one of the points in the book was that children, at a minimum, learn better via repetition. So maybe he's just putting that insight to work on the average public. I will say I'm glad I picked it up for free because I feel that the jacket price of $15 wouldn't have been worth it.

 

[Einherjar86]

I'm fascinated by the P v. NP problem, so I picked this up the other day. It's very pop-sci, but it gets the point across.

 

[Cronopio]

Reading this now, but in Swedish. Stories heavily influenced by Carver, with a dash of Bukowski. Tower's still got his own voice, though. I'm about halfway through.

 

[TageRyche]

I read the Ace Atkins thriller The Fallen.

 

[CiG]

Can anybody recommend to me the best Star Wars book to read?

Outside of the novelization of the original trilogy (whether you like them or not, I am just trying to avoid recommendations that are too obvious).

 

[Manic Ferocity]

Timothy Zahn's Thrawn trilogy was cool but it's not canon anymore I guess. The other ones I've read range from decent to terrible.