I saw your post about Relic the other day and it did look interesting. What are these two books about?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Spoilers What Book Are You Reading?
- Thread starter Huntn
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I saw your post about Relic the other day and it did look interesting. What are these two books about?
Relic is a techno-thriller. It starts off with two young brothers who are discovered dead in the New York Museum of Natural History just days before a very important exhibition, the Superstition Exhibition. Then several other murders follow, all murdered with the same savage modus operandi: dismembered bodies, crushed skull, brain pulled out. Obviously the killer is not human, but some kind of wild beast who is somewhere roaming around in the museum murdering visitors when no one is watching (the reader gets no glimpse of it and we don't know what sort of animal it is). And in order to get to the bottom of these killings, we are introduced to Aloysius Pendergast, an FBI Special Agent. I really like the character of Pendergast because he reminds me of Sherlock Holmes
The book has been compared to Crichton’s Jurassic Park, which is a book I enjoyed.
Now The Boys in the Boat is one of my all-time favourite non-fiction books. It's about the University of Washington's varsity rowing crew and their quest for an Olympic gold medal. It's centered around the life of one of the varsity crew member, Joe Rantz. The narration jumps between Rantz's life and his crew's quest to the Olympics and then goes to talk about an important event that occurred during that time; like the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, Hitler's reign/life, etc. The author's storytelling skills are extraordinary. It's a truly entertaining and remarkable work of narrative non-fiction. I highly recommend it.
I’ll post the Amazon link for it below if you’re interested.
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
by Daniel James Brown
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
No, I really don't watch much TV, - actually, I watch hardly any TV - and almost never for what would be termed entertainment. Actually, I, personally, have never owned a TV set, and whole months of my life go by - usually when I am abroad - when I do not watch a single TV programme for months on end. And no, I don't miss it. At all.
Quite seriously, when I am in a house with a TV, I will watch news, current affairs or documentaries, and nothing else. In truth, I hardy ever watch movies, - least of all anything recent from the US - and I find most of what is called 'entertainment' tedious and boring. More to the point, I find it annoys and irks me - it seems to me a colossal waste of time and, anyway, I spend enough time facing a screen when I am online. In any case, I do not view 'entertainment' on TV as something which is relaxing. For relaxation, I listen to music, (which I love), or read.
And yes, in general, I prefer fact to fiction, although I will read fiction.; sometimes, for relaxation, I read fantasy/scifi; otherwise, when I am home and have time available, I will read more 'serious' fiction.
However, mostly, as you have observed, I tend to read fact. I used to teach history and politics, and still, to some extent, work in this field, and, it is something I find enormously interesting. I am the sort of person who visits ancient cities and towns on holiday - I like theatres, pubs, museums and coffee shops……..and book shops….
I don't think I've ever met someone like you. You're an interesting person, SS.
Thank you for your kind words, but, believe it or not, seriously, I am not all that interesting.
Actually, I am a rather boring individual. On holidays, I like to read, listen to music, and visit - among other things - medieval churches and cathedrals (which, granted, might be considered a little unusual in someone who is a non-believer) as well as old towns ..
Just accept that I like history, and love old towns. And yes, architecture interests me.
Ah okay. And I just noticed there's a misspelling. Let me correct him ...
Gaiman
Yeah, if only there was some sort of global, information resource, available from your computer where you could check the spelling of an authors name ...
Ah okay. And I just noticed there's a misspelling. Let me correct him ...
Gaiman
he he he… my bad.
----------
Yeah, if only there was some sort of global, information resource, available from your computer where you could check the spelling of an author’s name ...
yeah. hey, when you hear of one, let me know.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
VV, I can now say and based on the first book (Relic) that the two authors (Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child) make a really good team. They crafted together a great suspenseful, thriller book. I'm not sure what process or system they follow to write these books but what's important is that it's effective and it works well. It doesn't feel like it's a collaborative work, which is remarkable.
Currently reading: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
Anyone read this novel? I was quite surprised when I looked at the back cover in the middle of reading the book and saw the 12+. I haven't finished the book yet but it contains a lot of obscene language.
Anyone read this novel? I was quite surprised when I looked at the back cover in the middle of reading the book and saw the 12+. I haven't finished the book yet but it contains a lot of obscene language.
Haha. I love to read. Plus, I started reading Relic (the last book I finished) almost a week ago so of course I'd be done with it by now
Have you finished Decoded yet?
Haha. I love to read. Plus, I started reading Relic (the last book I finished) almost a week ago so of course I'd be done with it by now
Have you finished Decoded yet?
Ha it can take me months to finish books. I have not it's just hanging out on my coffee table. I should get back to it. I usually do most of my reading on down time at work.
Haha. I love to read. Plus, I started reading Relic (the last book I finished) almost a week ago so of course I'd be done with it by now
Have you finished Decoded yet?
Yeah me too. I can take months to get through a book. Mostly because I get distracted too easily or am too tired after work to do anything much.
Read it about a year ago, and honestly, I can not remember all that foul language. In any case, it is only there to point the "shock" the autistic boy has with how adults speak, I.e., they use words his parents do not let him use. I don't think it's much worse than what 9-11 y/o kids are exposed to in school.
...
Me and my film reference:
Any Gun Can Play The Essential Guide to Euro-Westerns by Kevin Grant. F.A.B. Press create some fantastic reference for fans of genre cinema and this is no exception. My favorite book on Spaghetti (and other European) Westerns ever done. Not overtly academic or dry, just a wonderful examination of the genre and it's many mutations.
It's probably my favorite F.A.B. book. I Hope they do as extensive and fun a tome on gialli as they did here.
Me and my film reference:
Any Gun Can Play The Essential Guide to Euro-Westerns by Kevin Grant. F.A.B. Press create some fantastic reference for fans of genre cinema and this is no exception. My favorite book on Spaghetti (and other European) Westerns ever done. Not overtly academic or dry, just a wonderful examination of the genre and it's many mutations.
It's probably my favorite F.A.B. book. I Hope they do as extensive and fun a tome on gialli as they did here.
What Book Are You Reading?
No. It's much worse. Strong language and adult situations that I've never read in a children's book. When I finished the book I discovered that as a result of the language, it's been released in two editions: a children's edition and an edition for adults. So maybe you read the children's edition that's why you don't remember.
It's a pretty good book but the profanity was over, to the point where it became annoying and at parts it was even unnecessary. Do I regret reading it? No. It's a unique and interesting book, I've never read anything like it. The narrator is a fifteen year old boy who suffers from a psychological disorder called Asperger syndrome. He decides to write a mystery book (which is the book we are reading) to investigate an incident so the writing is very simple and plain since it's by a young boy. The book has lots of drawings and mathematical puzzles in order for readers to see what it's like inside the mind of an autistic boy; a very complicated mind.
No. It's much worse. Strong language and adult situations that I've never read in a children's book. When I finished the book I discovered that as a result of the language, it's been released in two editions: a children's edition and an edition for adults. So maybe you read the children's edition that's why you don't remember.
It's a pretty good book but the profanity was over, to the point where it became annoying and at parts it was even unnecessary. Do I regret reading it? No. It's a unique and interesting book, I've never read anything like it. The narrator is a fifteen year old boy who suffers from a psychological disorder called Asperger syndrome. He decides to write a mystery book (which is the book we are reading) to investigate an incident so the writing is very simple and plain since it's by a young boy. The book has lots of drawings and mathematical puzzles in order for readers to see what it's like inside the mind of an autistic boy; a very complicated mind.
Last edited: