Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?

[ucfgrad93]

I am currently reading Serpents Among the Ruins (Star Trek Lost Era II) on my Kindle.

 

[WoodNUFC]

So far, it's a fascinating read. It's made up of 22 short essays/articles from some great historians. Essentially, it has added another 10 books to my reading list before I start my PhD in August!

 

[Scepticalscribe]

So far, it's a fascinating read. It's made up of 22 short essays/articles from some great historians. Essentially, it has added another 10 books to my reading list before I start my PhD in August!

That sounds very interesting and seems to be the sort of book that I really find fascinating.

Who are the historians - anyone of note, or interest? And, more importantly, what do they say, or is there a significant difference of opinion on the topic?

 

[dakwar]

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Well written, good story, but not that interesting to me. Still, I'm reading it and intend to finish reading it - because I don't read enough books.

 

[WoodNUFC]

That sounds very interesting and seems to be the sort of book that I really find fascinating.

Who are the historians - anyone of note, or interest? And, more importantly, what do they say, or is there a significant difference of opinion on the topic?

Probably the two biggest names (at least to me) are Gary B. Nash and T.H Breen. The book has made me interested in the work of Alfred Young, Jil Lepore and Ray Raphael. Lepore inserts a lot of wit into her writing, and Raphael is an independent scholar that writes with a lot of enthusiasm.

The opinions seem to be similar in the first section of the book, which I finished last night. Through those six essays they have focused on lesser known members of society that have been overshadowed by the Founding Fathers. The authors have made some compelling arguments that without these rebels/radicals/insurgents the revolution would have failed to get off the ground.

The book paints the Founding Fathers as elitists who took advantage of their socioeconomic standing to position themselves as the forerunners of the movement. In actuality, it was the lower socioeconomic groups that led the charge for independence, and - according to the various authors - were too democratic and/or radical for the comfort of the Founding Fathers.

It's an easy read. Most of the articles are less than 20 pages, and really lend themselves to direct readers to more work by each author. I know I will be buying and reading more from Breen and Nash as a result.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Well written, good story, but not that interesting to me. Still, I'm reading it and intend to finish reading it - because I don't read enough books.

An excellent book; initially, I thought that yet another account of the Tudor era was over-doing it, and I bought the book (and started reading it) with some reluctance, despite the excellent reviews it had received. However, it grew on me, and is even better after a second reading. Actually, perhaps surprisingly, the sequel 'Bring Up The Bodies' is even better.

Probably the two biggest names (at least to me) are Gary B. Nash and T.H Breen. The book has made me interested in the work of Alfred Young, Jil Lepore and Ray Raphael. Lepore inserts a lot of wit into her writing, and Raphael is an independent scholar that writes with a lot of enthusiasm.

The opinions seem to be similar in the first section of the book, which I finished last night. Through those six essays they have focused on lesser known members of society that have been overshadowed by the Founding Fathers. The authors have made some compelling arguments that without these rebels/radicals/insurgents the revolution would have failed to get off the ground.

The book paints the Founding Fathers as elitists who took advantage of their socioeconomic standing to position themselves as the forerunners of the movement. In actuality, it was the lower socioeconomic groups that led the charge for independence, and - according to the various authors - were too democratic and/or radical for the comfort of the Founding Fathers.

It's an easy read. Most of the articles are less than 20 pages, and really lend themselves to direct readers to more work by each author. I know I will be buying and reading more from Breen and Nash as a result.

That's a terrific recommendation, and thank you very much for it; that argument re the Founding Fathers sounds extremely interesting. I may well order it as I love reading history books which take a fresh look at well known narratives, or those which seek to highlight the less well known angles and aspects of history.

 

[WoodNUFC]

That's a terrific recommendation, and thank you very much for it; that argument re the Founding Fathers sounds extremely interesting. I may well order it as I love reading history books which take a fresh look at well known narratives, or those which seek to highlight the less well known angles and aspects of history.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

 

[moblessed17]

Thirds eye view

I suggest reading Thirds Eye View. Very different out look on life, a short book, but bound to have a few quotes you can relate to. It's in the amazon kindle store, and I find myself rereading it and applying said quotes to my experiences

 

[Zendokan]

Has anyone read the Dark Tower books by Stephen King?, and are they any good?.

I have read the first three books when I was younger (at the time there were only three books released).

I liked them a lot. True Stephen King writing and you will start listening to the Rolling Stones "Paint it black". I garantee 😉

After I'm done with the Lee Child - Jack Reacher books, I think that I'll restart reading the Dark Tower saga.

I saw the movie "Jack Reacher" in december of last year. Before I went into the movie theater, I was thinking "Who the hell is Jack Reacher?" because he wasn't known here on mainland Europe.
Afterwards I found out that there existed books and on the 3rd of January, I started to read the first book...Two days ago I finished the 15th book, still 2 books and 3 short stories to go. 😀

 

[dxstewart]

Reading this before my two-week rental is up.

 

[spoon man]

I have read the first three books when I was younger (at the time there were only three books released).

I liked them a lot. True Stephen King writing and you will start listening to the Rolling Stones "Paint it black". I garantee 😉

After I'm done with the Lee Child - Jack Reacher books, I think that I'll restart reading the Dark Tower saga.

I saw the movie "Jack Reacher" in december of last year. Before I went into the movie theater, I was thinking "Who the hell is Jack Reacher?" because he wasn't known here on mainland Europe.
Afterwards I found out that there existed books and on the 3rd of January, I started to read the first book...Two days ago I finished the 15th book, still 2 books and 3 short stories to go. 😀

I'm not far from the end of the book now I'm really enjoying it, the last Stephen King book I read was Cell that put me off his books for a while 🙁.

I watched Jack Reacher and the film alone has put me off the books, and NO to the Rolling Stones 😡

 

[Scepticalscribe]

"What Money Can't Buy - The Moral Limits of Markets" by Michael Sandel.

 

[DesertEagle]

The novel "Battle Royale" never ceases to amaze me. I read it this weekend and I love the way the final trio sticks together until the end; their mutual trust and friendship under highly competitive circumstances is really heart-touching. The distasteful setting and graphic violence set aside, the book shows how you can deal with an extreme situation by using either the best or the worst part of you. It's your choice, so do choose wisely if you can.

 

[ucfgrad93]

I am currently reading In Enemy Hands on my Kindle.

 

[Liquorpuki]

The novel "Battle Royale" never ceases to amaze me. I read it this weekend and I love the way the final trio sticks together until the end; their mutual trust and friendship under highly competitive circumstances is really heart-touching. The distasteful setting and graphic violence set aside, the book shows how you can deal with an extreme situation by using either the best or the worst part of you. It's your choice, so do choose wisely if you can.

I read Battle Royale a long time ago after watching the movie. Awesome story, landmark novel, I wanted to buy the manga too

I'm reading Fat Chance by Robert Lustig right now. Eye opener

 

[DesertEagle]

I read Battle Royale a long time ago after watching the movie. Awesome story, landmark novel, I wanted to buy the manga too

I think you will like the manga. It beats the movie IMO.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Re-reading the book (yes, the book) 'Gone With The Wind' by Margaret Mitchell

 

[Shrink]

Re-reading the book (yes, the book) 'Gone With The Wind' by Margaret Mitchell

OMG...somebody reading a book when you can just see the movie!!?? Or get the Cliff Notes! 😉

I strongly suggest that if you haven't seen the movie...after you read the book, totally ignore the over produced, over acted, bloated misery that is the movie.

(Oooh, I'm going to pay for that one...😱)

 

[Scepticalscribe]

OMG...somebody reading a book when you can just see the movie!!?? Or get the Cliff Notes! 😉

I strongly suggest that if you haven't seen the movie...after you read the book, totally ignore the over produced, over acted, bloated misery that is the movie.

(Oooh, I'm going to pay for that one...😱)

I have seen the movie - indeed, which of us who likes old movies hasn't?

But, the book is an old, old, battered copy (it belonged to my father) - a rugged and ragged massive door stopper of a paperback - and the photographs (from the movie) which are what pass for illustrations, are falling out from their location in the centre of the book's spine. Oddly enough, (for this is a serious and massive tome, clocking in at well over a thousand pages of close print), it is a book I find myself reaching for about once a decade, and then reading it slowly, almost savouring it. As is so often the case, there is an awful lot more in the book than the movie was able to accommodate......

 

[TedM]

I just started dune!

 

[DesertEagle]

Re-reading the book (yes, the book) 'Gone With The Wind' by Margaret Mitchell

Oh, they have written a book on it too now? 😀

OMG...somebody reading a book when you can just see the movie!!?? Or get the Cliff Notes! 😉

I strongly suggest that if you haven't seen the movie...after you read the book, totally ignore the over produced, over acted, bloated misery that is the movie.

(Oooh, I'm going to pay for that one...😱)

Movie versions of books will more often than not leave me feeling cheated. I love movies, but usually not the ones that are based on books which I've already read. Vivien Leigh is cute, though.

Therefore I prefer to watch the movie first and then read the book. 🙂

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Oh, they have written a book on it too now? 😀



Movie versions of books will more often than not leave me feeling cheated. I love movies, but usually not the ones that are based on books which I've already read. Vivien Leigh is cute, though.

Therefore I prefer to watch the movie first and then read the book. 🙂

In this case, as is so often the situation, the book predated the movie.

Mitchell spent years planning it, and appears to have been fascinated by the idea (frequently referred to by Rhett Butler in the book) that fortunes are made and societal changes happen most radically either during the creation of a world (society, or empire) or the collapse of same. In other ways, it is a sort of paean to the antebellum society of the South, but addresses in fascinating detail the changes that happen to that world through the war and after it. Apparently, Mitchell was able to collate first hand accounts and memories, - survivors were still alive, though elderly, when she was young - and wove some of these tales into her opus.

 

[Shrink]

Oh, they have written a book on it too now? 😀



Movie versions of books will more often than not leave me feeling cheated. I love movies, but usually not the ones that are based on books which I've already read. Vivien Leigh is cute, though.

Therefore I prefer to watch the movie first and then read the book. 🙂

Totally agree that movies seldom live up to the books...with one exception; "The Maltese Falcon".

John Huston essentially took the book, and had the script typed directly out of the book. The movie was word for word, scene for scene, out of the book. He could have simply given the cast the book, because that's how it was filmed.

But otherwise, movies seldom do justice to the book. Watching the movie before reading the book is a great idea. I made the mistake of reading "L.A. Confidential" first, and was totally confused by the movie.

 

[quasinormal]

I am currently reading Richard Russo's Ship of Fools on my iPad. It is kinda science fictiony. I broke my 2nd Kobo Touch the other week after putting it in my back pocket and sitting down. Plastic crap. I miss the paperwhite screen in brighter situations and the lightness, but the iPad is much more responsive and far better in dim light.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Totally agree that movies seldom live up to the books...with one exception; "The Maltese Falcon".

John Huston essentially took the book, and had the script typed directly out of the book. The movie was word for word, scene for scene, out of the book. He could have simply given the cast the book, because that's how it was filmed.

But otherwise, movies seldom do justice to the book. Watching the movie before reading the book is a great idea. I made the mistake of reading "L.A. Confidential" first, and was totally confused by the movie.

Agree with you.

And, I'd add to that my belief that 'The Godfather' (movies) I and II, especially the second movie, were (and are) rare examples of movies which transcended and improved on the book on which they were based.