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Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?
- Thread starter Huntn
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I know, NOW it would. This was back in the dark ages of HR, some 30 years ago. Plus that place had a way of 'punishing' people that demanded to be treated as people. I was physically assaulted by another employee, and they largely shrugged. Granted, it wasn't a huge issue, but it sure freaked a lot of people out. They had a near religious hatred for the union I was in, and the littlest t hing could spark an internecine war, with casualties all over the place. Yeah, it was toxic, but the department head was recognized by management year over year for the department management. I kid you not.
Currently reading:
1. Zadie Smith's Swing Time - This features clear, incisive prose. The reading experience is smooth and thought-provoking. Strangely enough, the prose seems flamboyant and simple at the same time, which is quite remarkable.
2. Chang-rae Lee's Native Speaker - Just picked this up a couple of days back. Focuses on the question of an immigrant's self-identity and the forces and factors (felt and unfelt) that shape it. Seems interesting so far, though I'm still at the beginning.
1. Zadie Smith's Swing Time - This features clear, incisive prose. The reading experience is smooth and thought-provoking. Strangely enough, the prose seems flamboyant and simple at the same time, which is quite remarkable.
2. Chang-rae Lee's Native Speaker - Just picked this up a couple of days back. Focuses on the question of an immigrant's self-identity and the forces and factors (felt and unfelt) that shape it. Seems interesting so far, though I'm still at the beginning.
Good luck with that one.....I skipped it as I heard that literally nothing happens in it. That series became a chore in the middle.
Thank you- it’s definitely rather lengthy in many places… for some unknown reason I am making good reading progress though by my standards and will likely have the first third done today.
I hope you like it I guess.....if you want some humorous reading, check out the one star reviews of this book on Amazon. I imagine that the people who actually had to wait for this book to be released were disappointed in what they got.
If it makes you feel better, the next book is much better and the 3 book finale by Brandon Sanderson were really good.
Re-reading "Discovery of Witches" by Deborah Harkness.
I did read the trilogy in four parts when the TV series first came out, but I decided to re-read it given that the TV series seems to have come to an end.
I know I read them, but I can't remember much of it, I don't know why.
However, on re-reading, it is such a delightful intellectual exercise. Reading on an iPhone I can select and get translated the odd bits in old Occitan (now, apparently Catalan) (who knew that my iPhone understands Occitan?).
It is apparent that Harkness has not only spent some time in the Bodleian Library, but the joy with which she describes some of the old manuscripts shows she has actually worked with them.
I did read the trilogy in four parts when the TV series first came out, but I decided to re-read it given that the TV series seems to have come to an end.
I know I read them, but I can't remember much of it, I don't know why.
However, on re-reading, it is such a delightful intellectual exercise. Reading on an iPhone I can select and get translated the odd bits in old Occitan (now, apparently Catalan) (who knew that my iPhone understands Occitan?).
It is apparent that Harkness has not only spent some time in the Bodleian Library, but the joy with which she describes some of the old manuscripts shows she has actually worked with them.
Going after another author I really like... Dean Koontz.
Tick Tock....
Tick Tock....
Finished Tick Tock and now onto another Dean Koontz book.
The Servants of Twilight
WOW. So far it is pretty darn intense. Intense!
The Servants of Twilight
WOW. So far it is pretty darn intense. Intense!
Never read this book. Always meant to. After that Lampoon book, I figured this would be a good 'next thing'.
The whole transliterated Russian is a little jarring. I don't know if this is the actual book, or I got a counterfeit somewhere...
EDIT: It's the book. An odd choice. Had I known, I might have passed until later. Hmm...
The whole transliterated Russian is a little jarring. I don't know if this is the actual book, or I got a counterfeit somewhere...
EDIT: It's the book. An odd choice. Had I known, I might have passed until later. Hmm...
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That is a great classic Heinlein story, I hope you enjoy it. It's been too long for me to remember the story well enough to recall how Heinlein constructed the language of the lunar society in the novel, but it is how it was written (I'm relying upon Wikipedia to give me a quick refresher on the story). The book you are reading is almost certainly the 'real thing'.
I recently re-read "The Moon..." and I was struck with how radically selfish the supposedly "libertarian" moon residents were. They find a universal computer intelligence and their first impulse is not to share with everyone. Instead, they use it to destroy. Also, there is this supreme fantasy of how well women are treated, while in fact they are still basically just property. Definitely a sci fi classic, tho! ??
It could just be the timing. It seems to be written from a Russian, or that area, person's pov. Weird phrasing/language. SIASL rocked my world decades ago, but I never picked up another of his books, until now. *shrug* (I think I got sick of Greg Bear, after reading most of his books. Some aren't so good, but loved Eon)
I thought that was what being 'libertarian' was all about? I'm no expert in that kind of thing though. (Had a 'libertarian' in high school/early college. He wore plaid pants and fake glasses, and carried a pipe in college when not in class. So 'desperate'? He ran for town mayor, won, and was nearly recalled. Spending nearly a million on a 'board walk' that was below the average water depth due to a drought, and not allowing for height adjustment will do that to a career, I guess. He 'wasn't very bright', but very outgoing and charismatic. He was dating the most gorgeous woman in college, and she dumped him pretty brutally. *shrug* I never wished him any hard, but he sure seemed to attract it. I thought of writing a book with a character like him as the wife knew him too, but never got past the thinking stage)
If this is your first Heinlein book since Stranger, then I do hope you enjoy it. He was my favorite author while growing up, and I've re-read many of his books over the years and throughout my life. The tone of his books changes considerably over time and I am not as fond of his very late novels as I am of his earlier ones. Glory Road is one of my all-time favorites. Citizen of the Galaxy is also great. And of course Starship Troopers. And quite a few others . . . I will have to either find my well-worn paperback of The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, or buy a Kindle version, and read it again now that you've piqued my interest!
Heinlein's "Time Enough for Love" probably contains most of his attitudes to pretty well everything -- honour, duty to others, protect the weak, male chivalry, etc. It is the only book I have ever read that has a chapter that made me weep.
Many of his attitudes we would now consider outdated, especially those towards women, and his attitudes towards sex have been described, reasonably accurately, as "adolescent".
However, he does write a rollickingly good story.
Many of his attitudes we would now consider outdated, especially those towards women, and his attitudes towards sex have been described, reasonably accurately, as "adolescent".
However, he does write a rollickingly good story.
Oh, 'Don't Stop The Carnival' (Herman Wouk) had me leaking around my eyes. Wow...
Just finished the Second in the Mistborn Trilogy, The Well of Ascension, and while it has a lot of gravity, I find I’m really enjoying that this story since book 1 is not predictable, and it ends on an upbeat note based on my standards, there is still hope no matter how much carnage there is. And then in the beginning of the next book, Hero of Ages, it starts with a kick-ass Mistborn fight. 
Because of the TV series "The Ipcress File" I decided to read the original book by Len Deighton.
It is not the worst book I have tried to read, that goes to "50 Shades of Grey", where I could only get halfway through the first page.
However, I did give up after about 50 pages. The really, really poor writing and scene set up and description, along with the racism and bigotry, I just couldn't continue.
It is not the worst book I have tried to read, that goes to "50 Shades of Grey", where I could only get halfway through the first page.
However, I did give up after about 50 pages. The really, really poor writing and scene set up and description, along with the racism and bigotry, I just couldn't continue.
This one was better.
@PinkyMacGodess, lucky timing (for me), checking this again on Amazon today I find that the Kindle edition is marked down to just $2.99. So I'll be able to read it again right away, thanks to the discussion here and reminding me of this particular novel of Heinlein's.
