Books

[Walsingham]

Now reading The Good Soldiers by David Finkel. Excellent book following the lives of the soldiers of the 2nd Battalion 16th Infantry through the surge and beyond. Facisnating reading, once again reminding me how much the efforts and sacrifices by the military go unnoticed and unappreciated by those who have never lifted a finger for their country.

 

Tagged.

 

yesterday I read The Napoleon of Notting Hill by GK Chesterton. As you know I'm a fan of Chesterton, and I hugely enjoyed this very quotable book. The picture he paints of a world where nothing is worth fighting for and no-one minds not voting, and all is dullness is frighteningly familiar. However, I concede it can be a bit weird at times, and the ending is utterly fantastical and a bit rubbish.

[Maedhros]

Just finished Best Served Cold. Dark fantasy revenge story with some terrible sex scenes. One of the best fantasy books I

[Guard Dog]

Now reading A Big Little Life by Dean Koontz and Where Men Win Glory by Jon Kraukauer

[Guard Dog]

Now reading As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me by Josef Bauer, about a German POW who escapes from a Soviet Labor Camp (yes LoF they really did have them) and sneaks all the way from the Urals to return to Germany. Great story.

 

Just finished No Less Than Victory by Jeff Sharra. Like most of his books it was good but not great.

[Blarghagh]

I just finished American Gods. Finally, damn I'm a slow reader. And damn, that's a good story. Although I did feel that he could have done more with the concept when I got to the end. Next, Neverwhere.

Edited November 17, 2009 by TrueNeutral

[Walsingham]

I just finished American Gods. Finally, damn I'm a slow reader. And damn, that's a good story. Although I did feel that he could have done more with the concept when I got to the end. Next, Neverwhere.

 

Well, what's it about?

[Blarghagh]

In what way?

 

I mean I could say it's about the power of belief and also about it's weaknesses, but that would just be a one line desciption that could in itself mean anything. It's about the meaning of being alive, and how that meaning is what you give it. But what does *that* mean? I'm not sure what kind of answer you're looking for. It's certainly about a lot of things, and it certainly gives you a lot to think about.

 

(Although I must confess somewhere in the middle I thought it was a warning against trusting technology, a supposition* that fell apart somewhere right before the climax when I realized it had only been made to look like that. I was quite amused that Mr. Gaiman seemed to have played me as much as Mr. Wednesday played Shadow.)

 

I meant more in a visual way. I'm keen on visualising things (I am an animator after all) and I felt a little disappointed that he didn't go all out with the weirdness. Like the mechanical spider "backstage" that you never really hear from again.

 

*English is my second language and I'm not sure if I'm using this word correctly.

Edited November 17, 2009 by TrueNeutral

[Walsingham]

In what way?

 

I mean I could say it's about the power of belief and also about it's weaknesses, but that would just be a one line desciption that could in itself mean anything. It's about the meaning of being alive, and how that meaning is what you give it. But what does *that* mean? I'm not sure what kind of answer you're looking for. It's certainly about a lot of things, and it certainly gives you a lot to think about.

 

(Although I must confess somewhere in the middle I thought it was a warning against trusting technology, a supposition* that fell apart somewhere right before the climax when I realized it had only been made to look like that. I was quite amused that Mr. Gaiman seemed to have played me as much as Mr. Wednesday played Shadow.)

 

I meant more in a visual way. I'm keen on visualising things (I am an animator after all) and I felt a little disappointed that he didn't go all out with the weirdness. Like the mechanical spider "backstage" that you never really hear from again.

 

*English is my second language and I'm not sure if I'm using this word correctly.

 

Sounds good. If I see it I'll buy it.

[Blarghagh]

The more basic concept is, more or less but not quite, what if all the immigrants that went to America took their Gods with them, and they're in the New World struggling to survive just as much as anyone else?

[Guard Dog]

I stopped at Books A Million on the way home today and bought Going Rogue by Sarah Palin and Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. The latter is about a man trying to save his home and neighbors in New Orleans following Katrina. The former you all know what it is about. I'm starting that one right after V tonight.

[Hurlshort]

Really? The Sarah Palin book? I'm a bit surprised GD. It looks and sounds about as uninteresting as watching paint dry.

[Guard Dog]

I usually read 10-12 books a month. All different genres fiction and non. A book like that you read it because everyone is talking about it. Most of the time they are fomulaic and drier than a popcorn fart. But sometimes one will come out that gives you a little insight into how someone thinks and why they believe the things they do. They might even get you to reexamine your own conclusions on an issue. I'm on page 110 of Going Rogue and so far it is looking very much like the former and nothing like the latter.

 

I read both of Obamas books last year before the election. They were self-aggrandizing to the point you wanted to puke and only reinforced my dislike for the man. I respect him for how far he's come in life but his ideology is so repllent to me I could never vote for him. He either drew all of the wrong conclusions from his life lessons or willfully ignored them to practice his own particular ideology. But, I did read his books though because I did want to learn more about him.

[Guard Dog]

Finished is last night, can't say I'd reccomend it to anyone. There was some interesting insight into the behind the scenes stuff during the election. But as far as any kind of political or philisophical discussion, there wasn't much.

[kirottu]

I

[Hurlshort]

I'm not a big fan of Palin mostly because of her stance on sex education. Promoting abstinence is one thing, but refusing to teach safe sex alongside it is ignorant. Then she compounded the issue when her 17-year old daughter got knocked up. Rather than seeing a possible error in her ways, she stuck to the abstinence policy like a captain on a sinking ship.

 

Of course, Joe Biden is a plagiarist , so I wouldn't read his book either. Unless he plagiarized someone I really like.

Edited November 19, 2009 by Hurlshot

[Deadly_Nightshade]

There was some interesting insight into the behind the scenes stuff during the election.

 

And that's debated by other people who were part of the campaign. Still, I'd agree that people should not bother shelling out money for the book - if they really want to read it wait for a copy at the library or read in-store.

[Calax]

I'm not a big fan of Palin mostly because of her stance on sex education. Promoting abstinence is one thing, but refusing to teach safe sex alongside it is ignorant. Then she compounded the issue when her 17-year old daughter got knocked up. Rather than seeing a possible error in her ways, she stuck to the abstinence policy like a captain on a sinking ship.

 

Of course, Joe Biden is a plagiarist , so I wouldn't read his book either. Unless he plagiarized someone I really like.

I did like the "we're happy she decided to keep the child" and then said that she didn't want to give anyone the choice to make that decision.

 

of course, the only soundbites of her I've heard are the ones where she sounds like somebody jammed a talking points memo into her back and every question she gets not on that memo makes her brain crash in a thousand pieces.

 

Reading Tyrrany of the Night from Glenn Cook. It's a fiction novel that follows a soldier on a personal mission that turns into something much more, more political and spy style than soldiery. Set in a 3rd crusade era world analogue, it's kind of interesting. They have gunpowder, swords, and a bit of magic, but the interesting thing is the political landscape. Cook put in analogues for the Roman Cathoics, Muslims, Jews, Church of England, and a few other cute things for social commentary on how the world is/was in relation to the church and politics.

Edited November 20, 2009 by Calax

[Guard Dog]

Yea, a big box from Amazon was wating for me in my over sized mailbox. First up looks like a real winner. I'm over 100 pages in and I can't put it down. It's Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation by John Carlin. It's about the 1995 South Africa World Cup Rugby team. I believe this book is the basis for the new movie Invictus. If so I will defineitely see it.

[I want teh kotor 3]

I'd read Palin's book but for my fear that my IQ would plummet. Sarah Palin's an idiot (that's coming from a conservative).

[Guard Dog]

Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation by John Carlin: If you are a fan of sports/rugby/history/world politics/ etc you must read this book. Five stars!

[Deadly_Nightshade]

Playing the Enemy: Nelson Mandela and the Game That Made a Nation by John Carlin: If you are a fan of sports/rugby/history/world politics/ etc you must read this book. Five stars!

 

I'll have to give it a go.

[Guard Dog]

Now reading When the Game was Ours by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. I'm not a big fan of the NBA but this is a great read. If only the current NBA players had as musch class and respect for the game and each other as these guys did.

 

Also reading Pawprints of Katrina: Pets Saved and Lessons Learned by Cathy Scot. This is of particular interest because one of my dogs is a Katrina dog.

[J.E. Sawyer]

Finished is last night, can't say I'd reccomend it to anyone. There was some interesting insight into the behind the scenes stuff during the election. But as far as any kind of political or philisophical discussion, there wasn't much.

"If any vegans came over for dinner, I could whip them up a salad, then explain my philosophy on being a carnivore: If God had not intended for us to eat animals, how come He made them out of meat?"

 

Not actually the most illogical thing I've ever read, but pretty bad.

 

Now reading When the Game was Ours by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. I'm not a big fan of the NBA but this is a great read. If only the current NBA players had as musch class and respect for the game and each other as these guys did.

I stopped watching NBA basketball after Bird, Johnson, et al. retired. It moved from a passing game to 3 or 4 step drives to the basket. That really ruined the game for me.

[Pidesco]

Now reading When the Game was Ours by Larry Bird and Magic Johnson. I'm not a big fan of the NBA but this is a great read. If only the current NBA players had as musch class and respect for the game and each other as these guys did.

I stopped watching NBA basketball after Bird, Johnson, et al. retired. It moved from a passing game to 3 or 4 step drives to the basket. That really ruined the game for me.

 

I always thought Utah Jazz kept the passing game going into the 90s, after the heady days of Lakers vs Celtics. John Stockton was my hero.

[J.E. Sawyer]

I always thought Utah Jazz kept the passing game going into the 90s, after the heady days of Lakers vs Celtics. John Stockton was my hero.

True, Stockton and Malone did keep the dream alive.