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re: SECrOTB Book Club: I need a good book to read
Posted on 4/16/15 at 5:15 pm to cokebottleag
Posted on 4/16/15 at 5:15 pm to cokebottleag
quote:
there is nothing wrong with Grisham, Clancy, King, or Crichton. They are good authors and their books are well done for the most part
They are good authors. Their books do really well.
But Doritos are very good. They satisfy hunger in a satisfying way. Which is why they sell very well. It's an enjoyable experience to eat Doritos but afterwards you've done nothing but pacify your hunger.
You read a typical modern mainstream book, it's like a Doritos. It's enjoyable. It's pacified your boredom or intellectual itch. But there wasn't much real nourishment.
A 'better' book, not necessarily a more difficult book (stuff like The Stranger or Monkey Wrench Gang) can offer entertainment and nourishment. Instead of snacking on Doritos you decide to start snacking on homemade sweet potato fries. Maybe a little more work, but not much, still eating something fun and snackable, but you're getting nourishment while you're enjoyably snacking.
quote:
You see this in older 'classics' that were written before major publishing companies became a thing. Robinson Crusoe is a great example of this. That book would be a $.99 on amazon if it was written today.
I'd probably recommend more older, or new old books to people. I don't think my argument is talking strictly about new indie vs new commercial mainstream. There's more going on.
This post was edited on 4/16/15 at 5:17 pm
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Posted on 4/16/15 at 6:04 pm to TigerPanzer
quote:
Reread In Cold Blood by Truman Capote, especially since you probably haven't read it in years. Ask yourself what role environment had in the shaping of murderer Perry Smith's behavior and personality. That would make an interesting topic of discussion on this board.
The Weinstein Company just announced they are going to do an updated TV mini series on the book. Gary Oldman is helping produce it. I'm hoping someone like an HBO picks it up for obvious reasons.
Posted on 4/16/15 at 8:34 pm to UMRealist
Going Clear.
Nudge.
The Walmart Effect.
Last three books I've read.
Nudge.
The Walmart Effect.
Last three books I've read.
Posted on 5/8/15 at 10:24 am to TeLeFaWx
Has anybody read The Martian? Here great things about it and I need a book to read on my vacation next month.
Posted on 5/8/15 at 11:09 am to UMRealist
quote:
Has anybody read The Martian? Here great things about it and I need a book to read on my vacation next month.
heard nothing but good about it. i'm not a big sci fi guy, but it's been mildly on the radar, just due to street cred.
Posted on 9/10/15 at 11:45 am to 3nOut
thought i'd bump this since it's been 4 months.
The Martian was a spectacular read. Probably my favorite i read this year outside of DITWC.
Read Natchez Burning per a recommend on this thread. I liked it but i felt super guilty for being white afterwards. i picked up the first 2 books in this series by Greg Iles, just to see if i do indeed like the rest of the series, but i hope the whole theme is more found in Mississippi and Louisiana culture, not just racism.
Other books on deck are In the Garden of Beasts by Larson, American Sniper, Dark Places and Sharp objects by Gillian Flynn (gone girl writer) Killing Patton, Killing Kennedy and finishing Wheel of Time.
i'm on book 3 of Wheel of Time now. i have a strong, but most likely unobtainable goal of finishing the series before the year is out.
i also added in a few David Baldaccis (guy is almost as bad as James Patterson when it comes to having multiple series and too many irons in the fire the way he pumps out books,) James Rollins, Brad Thor, Vince Flynns that i've read over the last few months.
The Martian was a spectacular read. Probably my favorite i read this year outside of DITWC.
Read Natchez Burning per a recommend on this thread. I liked it but i felt super guilty for being white afterwards. i picked up the first 2 books in this series by Greg Iles, just to see if i do indeed like the rest of the series, but i hope the whole theme is more found in Mississippi and Louisiana culture, not just racism.
Other books on deck are In the Garden of Beasts by Larson, American Sniper, Dark Places and Sharp objects by Gillian Flynn (gone girl writer) Killing Patton, Killing Kennedy and finishing Wheel of Time.
i'm on book 3 of Wheel of Time now. i have a strong, but most likely unobtainable goal of finishing the series before the year is out.
i also added in a few David Baldaccis (guy is almost as bad as James Patterson when it comes to having multiple series and too many irons in the fire the way he pumps out books,) James Rollins, Brad Thor, Vince Flynns that i've read over the last few months.
Posted on 12/2/15 at 11:51 pm to 3nOut
Bump.
Posted on 12/3/15 at 8:37 am to 3nOut
Posted on 12/3/15 at 8:49 am to 3nOut
Man there is some good shite in here.
I bought Lord of the Flies about 2 months ago and never started reading it. Just picked it back up this morning.
Do y'all do the e-reading thing, or do you have real books? I can't do the reading on my iPad or whatever you may happen to use. I need a real book in my hand for whatever reason.
I bought Lord of the Flies about 2 months ago and never started reading it. Just picked it back up this morning.
Do y'all do the e-reading thing, or do you have real books? I can't do the reading on my iPad or whatever you may happen to use. I need a real book in my hand for whatever reason.
Posted on 12/3/15 at 9:46 am to DynastyDawg
I can't read on an e-device either.
Recent reads:
Robogenesis by Daniel H. Wilson (sequel to Robopocalypse): this was a pretty good sequel. If you've read the first one, then you might have been surprised that it had a sequel becaues things seemed pretty wrapped up. I was suspicious that this would feel contrived and like a money grab, but the author actually did a really nice job of coming up with a fresh continuation of the story.
David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell: typical Gladwell stuff. This one is about how apparent advantages in life may actually be disadvantages and how apparent disadvantages might actully be advantages (like how David's small stature and use of a sling as a weapon was actually what allowed him to defeat Goliath, even though it's what made people so dubious as to how he would succeed).
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson: possibly one of my favorite Stephenson books so far. The moon gets struck by an "agent" causing it to fall apart and dooming earth. The people of earth attempt to colonize space to save the species. Great cerebral science fiction with some zany writing.
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. Set in Thailand in a steampunk type future destroyed by pestilence and famine and ruled by calorie companies that control the food. Thailand is the last holdout from the influence of the calorie companies, still having their own private genetic seed stock and ruled over by a tightly controlled environmental ministry. This one took me a while to get into due to so much crazy language and the alien world, but it was worth it in the end.
Recent reads:
Robogenesis by Daniel H. Wilson (sequel to Robopocalypse): this was a pretty good sequel. If you've read the first one, then you might have been surprised that it had a sequel becaues things seemed pretty wrapped up. I was suspicious that this would feel contrived and like a money grab, but the author actually did a really nice job of coming up with a fresh continuation of the story.
David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell: typical Gladwell stuff. This one is about how apparent advantages in life may actually be disadvantages and how apparent disadvantages might actully be advantages (like how David's small stature and use of a sling as a weapon was actually what allowed him to defeat Goliath, even though it's what made people so dubious as to how he would succeed).
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson: possibly one of my favorite Stephenson books so far. The moon gets struck by an "agent" causing it to fall apart and dooming earth. The people of earth attempt to colonize space to save the species. Great cerebral science fiction with some zany writing.
The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi. Set in Thailand in a steampunk type future destroyed by pestilence and famine and ruled by calorie companies that control the food. Thailand is the last holdout from the influence of the calorie companies, still having their own private genetic seed stock and ruled over by a tightly controlled environmental ministry. This one took me a while to get into due to so much crazy language and the alien world, but it was worth it in the end.
Posted on 12/3/15 at 9:47 am to DynastyDawg
Lord of the Flies is excellent, though it's one of those that is much better after discussing it and unpacking it than just reading it in isolation, imo.
Posted on 12/3/15 at 9:56 am to hogfly
I could see that.
I love the political symbolism. That's my thing.
I love the political symbolism. That's my thing.
Posted on 12/3/15 at 10:00 am to DynastyDawg
quote:
I love the political symbolism. That's my thing.
Yeah. It's a really fascinating examination of power, government, politics, etc... There's so freaking many ways to look at the book. Tons of archetypes at work in it as well. I taught it for like 10 years, but I haven't done it in a while.
Posted on 12/3/15 at 12:30 pm to hogfly
It's a book I really enjoy going back and reading every 3-5 years.
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