I finished both War Maid's Choice and Sword of the South by David Weber, the 4th and 5th books in the War God series. I really like the first book Oath of Swords, but I'm finding that the aspects I liked the most are diminishing in each subsequent book. They aren't bad, just the same long-winded descriptions of the same things over and over again. Also, we're left with two cliffhangers about characters, and I'm not sure either one will be compelling.
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Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?
- Thread starter Huntn
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Currently listening to Console Wars (via Audible).
The tagline reads: "Sega, Nintendo, and the battle that defined a generation".
The book I read before that was DisneyWar (I see a trend here!). I think it's one of my favourite books.
The tagline reads: "Sega, Nintendo, and the battle that defined a generation".
The book I read before that was DisneyWar (I see a trend here!). I think it's one of my favourite books.
Reading Alice Hoffman's The Marriage of Opposites, a novelized account of Rachel Pomié's life; in her second marriage andn life in France, she became the mother of French impressionist artist Camille Pissarro. She was born on the island of St. Thomas, into a tiny community of Jews who had fled from a revolution on Santo Domingo, and had earlier fled from Europe during the Spanish Inquisition.
Denmark had granted the Jews full civil rights on St. Thomas but Rachel, like many of her contemporaries born on St. Thomas , dreamed of "going back" to a Europe they'd never even known, and fancied she'd fall in love with a Frenchman and live in Paris. I figure the world today as quite lucky that she eventually did exactlyi that, although her community at home was apparently scandalized by her second marriage after she was widowed: she married a younger relative of her first husband, which marriage today would hardly raise eyebrows. The book is not focused that much on the artistic career of her son, so if you're wanting that, it's not your ticket, but I'm enjoying the book. It's well researched and tries to be faithful to Rachel's actual history.
Next up after that book, Louisa Hall's novel Speak -- it's about artificial intelligence, the qualities of being human, of having memory and choice. I may never actually get this read before the chaos of the holidays sets in here, but I'm looking forward to it anyway.
Denmark had granted the Jews full civil rights on St. Thomas but Rachel, like many of her contemporaries born on St. Thomas , dreamed of "going back" to a Europe they'd never even known, and fancied she'd fall in love with a Frenchman and live in Paris. I figure the world today as quite lucky that she eventually did exactlyi that, although her community at home was apparently scandalized by her second marriage after she was widowed: she married a younger relative of her first husband, which marriage today would hardly raise eyebrows. The book is not focused that much on the artistic career of her son, so if you're wanting that, it's not your ticket, but I'm enjoying the book. It's well researched and tries to be faithful to Rachel's actual history.
Next up after that book, Louisa Hall's novel Speak -- it's about artificial intelligence, the qualities of being human, of having memory and choice. I may never actually get this read before the chaos of the holidays sets in here, but I'm looking forward to it anyway.
Modoc: The True Story of The Greatest Elephant That Ever Lived
Re-reading it because I love it.
Re-reading it because I love it.
He he he. No sir, I just like elephants.
then you need a proper holder for your phone
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:512797
if you print it big, could also work as a book holder!
then you need a proper holder for your phone
http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:512797
if you print it big, could also work as a book holder!
wow!
Do Android's Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick (1968).
Android's designed smarter than human beings and who object to being slaves. Substantially different than the movie. I'll have to watch Blade Runner again. I felt empathy for the androids (so I'm human), and apparantly so did they besides wanting more out of their existence than being slaves. Interesting themes and some strange stuff (not referencing human android intimacy).
If you have indulged in both, interesting read:
Book vs Film: 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' vs 'Blade Runner'
Android's designed smarter than human beings and who object to being slaves. Substantially different than the movie. I'll have to watch Blade Runner again. I felt empathy for the androids (so I'm human
), and apparantly so did they besides wanting more out of their existence than being slaves. Interesting themes and some strange stuff (not referencing human android intimacy).If you have indulged in both, interesting read:
Book vs Film: 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' vs 'Blade Runner'
Do Android's Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick (1968).
Android's designed smarter than human beings and who object to being slaves. Substantially different than the movie. I'll have to watch Blade Runner again. I felt empathy for the androids (so I'm human
If you have indulged in both, interesting read:
Book vs Film: 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' vs 'Blade Runner'
I did my BA hons Digital Media dissertation on Blade Runner & DADOES ... After seeing the film around 100 times and reading the book paragraph by paragraph countless times I don't think I could ever watch or read either again. Classics but I've ruined them for myself forever ...
Do Android's Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick (1968).
Android's designed smarter than human beings and who object to being slaves. Substantially different than the movie. I'll have to watch Blade Runner again. I felt empathy for the androids (so I'm human
If you have indulged in both, interesting read:
Book vs Film: 'Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?' vs 'Blade Runner'
Well, I must say that I rather enjoyed the movie when I saw it a good few years ago. For that matter, I have a friend who raved about the book. As it is one I have not read, do you recommend that I read it?
The article that you posted comparing and contrasting the two is very interesting. Well worth looking at.
That is funny. My brother felt the same about Wuthering Heights for (almost) the exact same reason.
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I won't say the short story is a slam dunk unless you are a fan of P.K.Dick. This was good/strange but not great. He did an outstanding job of projecting android psychology, at least what you'd imagine as such. It does make you consider what does it mean to be human. I've also read We'll Remember It For You Wholesale which was enjoyable and I have both Minority Report and The Man in the High Castle cued up to read. For reading, the inexpensive alternative is to search for PDF versions of these short stories online.
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I just finished Paradise Sky, by Joe Lansdale.
It's a tall tale of sorts, about Nat Love. Nat is the most well-know African-American cowboy who ever lived. He is so well known that no one has ever heard of him. We can make an obvious guess as to why.
It's a good, mostly light-heated read with just a few disturbing scenes of violence. Touches on issues of race, class, love, loss, and accomplishment in the post-Civil War Western United States. Lansdale is a great writer. His voicing of a late 1860's African-American is amazingly consistent. It's a pretty wild adventure.
"Now, in the living of my life, I've killed deadly men and dangerous animals and made love to four Chinese women, all of them on the same night and in the same wagon bed, and one of them with a wooden leg, which made things a mite difficult from time to time. I even ate some of a dead fellow once when I was crossing the plains, though I want to rush right in here and make it clear I didn't know him all that well, and we damn sure wasn't kinfolk, and it all comes about by a misunderstanding..."
It's a tall tale of sorts, about Nat Love. Nat is the most well-know African-American cowboy who ever lived. He is so well known that no one has ever heard of him. We can make an obvious guess as to why.
It's a good, mostly light-heated read with just a few disturbing scenes of violence. Touches on issues of race, class, love, loss, and accomplishment in the post-Civil War Western United States. Lansdale is a great writer. His voicing of a late 1860's African-American is amazingly consistent. It's a pretty wild adventure.
"Now, in the living of my life, I've killed deadly men and dangerous animals and made love to four Chinese women, all of them on the same night and in the same wagon bed, and one of them with a wooden leg, which made things a mite difficult from time to time. I even ate some of a dead fellow once when I was crossing the plains, though I want to rush right in here and make it clear I didn't know him all that well, and we damn sure wasn't kinfolk, and it all comes about by a misunderstanding..."
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Earlier today I drove down to Barnes & Noble bookstore to get a gift card for my sister, which she wanted for Christmas. While I was there I was browsing around the science fiction area for anything interesting to read. I settled on a Star Trek TOS paperback. I've never read any Star Trek books before, but as some here know, I am fan of Star Trek, TOS, TNG, and all the movies, even the newer ones. I figured I'd give a book a try now too.
I only read the first chapter so far, and I'm liking the style of it and the story so far.
Star Trek: The Original Series: The Shocks of Adversity
I only read the first chapter so far, and I'm liking the style of it and the story so far.
Star Trek: The Original Series: The Shocks of Adversity
I download free Kindle books from Amazon and their daily special are worth checking out.
I'll have to check it out.
I bought the Kindle edition of Childhoods End last week after the 3-part mini series SyFy did on it left me wondering about a lot of missing information. I have yet to start reading it though.
The free books can be a mixed bag, some are good, some you just delete, most of mine are mystery books, but sometimes a gem can be found in other genres like 'Water for Elephants' by Sara Gruen.
At this time of year, does anyone make any reading "goals", as in New Year resolutions? I must admit that I tend to start the year with the aim of reading more fiction, concentrating on one subject, World War 1, 2, Rome, American history etc, but then end up reading more non fiction. I must admit that I miss the rigidity and planning of set reading when studying a specific subject but also love the freedom of not having to! What about your guys?
I'm with you on WW I, WW II and other history books, but have to have my share of mysteries; I do not set a goal on what will be read.
Not unless I am studying a subject professionally, and wish to become pretty knowledgeable about it; then, yes, I will immerse myself in the topic, and recommendations and reviews are welcomed. And then, yes, I will happily make lists. And read the books on those lists.
However, I used to be a historian by profession, and I loved the subject. But I will say that history is especially afflicted and bedevilled by thousands of poorly written books. When I am reading history for pleasure - and I still do that quite a lot - I want to enjoy the experience. That means I want a book that is well written, where the writer's enthusiasm for and mastery of the subject matter shines through, and where the elegance, descriptive power and sheer subtlety of the English language helps to shine a light on an era.
Nevertheless, there are exceptions to that. When I am working abroad, I devour reviews by writers and scholars I respect. If someone whose work - and writing - I rate highly recommends a book warmly, insisting on its worth, intellectual and otherwise, I will order it so that it is at home waiting for me upon my return.
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Just finished 'SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome', an excellent historical read.