I did read the second one but haven't gotten to #3 yet. I liked the first book a good deal. The second one not as much, but it's still decent. I think once the initial glamor of all the cool things happening in the first book wears off, the "settling into the new reality" of the second book gets kind of boring and the story stutters. Not having a central character to relate also doesn't help. Second book definitely has a great ending and some spectacular settings, though.

ETA: for the record, I think I'm in a small minority who didn't like the second book as much as the first.

Liu Cixin is a great communicator of ideas but not a good writer of characters unfortunately.

I just started book 3. Its scope is pretty insane imo.

Couldn't have put it better myself. After reading the second book my eagerness to jump into the third declined somewhat, but I'll definitely pick it up sometime.

A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century by Barbara Tuchman. Started this book a few days ago and really like it so far. I've read, I think, three other of her books and all have been excellent. I Intersperse reading this with finishing up the book on Churchill.

Then I'm rereading the Bible. A project that will take about 10 years as my planned pace is plodding and lethargic. I will be doing substantial other reading while this lugubrious project grinds on. God, it seems, is always on the back burner for me.

I loved her Stillwell book. I think about The March of Folly every day.

Tell us if you find any good parts.

I'll give another thumbs up to Martin Cruz Smith's Gorky Park. A couple times I found myself wondering whether I'd missed clues or the narrative had run astray (common occurrence for me in mysteries, especially on audio when it's tough to go back and skim a section). The stolid Russian atmosphere, detailed descriptions, and of course Arkady Renko's character make it more than worthwhile.

how are you planning on reading the bible, cover to cover? I was told in catholic high school that there's actually better ways to read it, bouncing around, but obviously i never did it

I loved those first few Arkady Renko books. Seems like the quality tailed off a little in the most recent ones.

i worked on a farm in montana with his daughter and have have on several occasions worked for him and his wife. i gave my dad a copy of this book a few years ago and he gave up really early. Hes been working on a novel to be titled Sunhouse which he claims is his masterwork and wont write any real novel after.

The best way to start is to read the last book first. Revelations is kick ass. Then you do Genesis and a few other follow on books - then bounce up to some of the more refined prophets while dashing in and out of Proverbs and The Psalms. Then read Mark first and the other three Gospels and Acts. Skip St. Paul and his street theology and finish up with the grand gibberish in a few of the minor prophets, Job, just for laughs, the Song of Solomon, for the erotica, and end with the flourish of Ecclesiastes. This misses some books but you get the meat. I'm speaking here to the more morbid Protestant Text of the Bible. The Catholics bung in a few more story telling books and supposed wisdom but they are mostly silly and detract from the true Luster of the Bible in all its gorgeous rabidity.

You owe me 50 shekels for the above advice. You are welcome.

Strong. You take PayPal?

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That's way cool, gder. He's a pretty damn good writer, very original. I'll gladly read any new novel of his.

I'm liking the book more now btw, more than half finished.

He is one of the most intelligent people i have ever talked to. His wife does some of the most amazing ceramic work you can imagine. Ive been meaning to read his books for some time. His daughter and my ex GF lived in the same house for a couple years, his daughter is an amazing artist as well. Super humble family.

https://www.adrianarleo.com/

i guess since im here i should talk some books. Shantaram and the Mountain Shadow by Gregory David Roberts are amazing and i just finished the latter.

A Tale For the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki is fantastic and i just finished it.

Just started American Gods

Reading Flames of Rebellion by Jay Allan it is Military Sci Fi it is great so far.

Read 52 Pickup by Elmore Leonard for about the fourth time. The opposite in description from James Lee Burke. Both writers good and worth reading.

Just read Kasparov's latest: Deep Thinking (co-written with Mic Greengard). The main part (and best part) of the book consists of three chapters going deeply into Kasparov's chess battles versus Deep Blue (the one he won 4-2 in 1996, followed by the famous one he lost 3.5-2.5 on May 11, 1997). Those chapters are astounding. The book closes with a chapter on the future of AI and Kasparov's arguments that we should prepare and adapt to technology as opposed to try to stop it, since stopping it is impossible. Throughout the book there are nice analogies supporting his view on machines, with a few sidetracks into his economic and political thinking. The book also includes the history of computer chess, which was interesting and among the best pieces of the book (but not as fun to read or interesting as his match with Deep Blue).

One highlight outside the Deep Blue chapters concerns a chess competition where people were allowed to use any help in a chess tournament. Grandmasters with weak computers would do better than chess-specialized strong computers. However, the winners of the tournament were amateur chess players using a string of computers in a clever way. Kasparov summarized this as "Weak human + machine + better process is superior to strong human + machine + inferior process". It was very interesting.

I am considering more books by Kasparov as I have learned a lot from Winter is Coming and from Deep Thinking. I am not even a chess player, but I really enjoy his writing (or his ghostwriters writing).

Love Kasparov's twitter too. He throws punches at anyone who deserves them.

Reading The Death of Ivan Ilyich by Leo Tolstoy, Pevear and Volokhonsky translators. It is one of the best short stories ever written.

Paglia has a new book coming out

http://freebeacon.com/culture/promin...oits-feminism/

Just checked out Waylon Jennings' autobiography and Bruce Springsteen's autobiography from La Biblioteca. I started with Waylon, cause that's how I roll, hoss. Pretty good so far, West Texas boy. Protege of Buddy Holly's ofc.

I actually play chess. Will look into his books soon.

i hit zephaniah tonight and got rocked, decided to post a thread in RGT...comment in it if you'd like

You're reading the King James edition right? That's the one that has the most literary value, to my knowledge.

I like it too. I started following him last summer after reading Winter is Coming.

New American Standard version (NASB)

I had the opportunity 15 yrs ago (so, things may have changed) to attend a church pastored by a Harvard educated wiz. It's what he used. I remember at the time the argument was the NASB was the most accurate translation to English. The guy was smart, real smart...not in comparison to pastors...in comparison to secular highly educated folk. I went with his rec. Plus, KJV, tends to come out in people's speech too much...and that's lame, lol.