LMAO, HobbyHorse!!!

Ludi

You definitely had some good choices, and not all American, which is refreshing to see. Jean de Florette was one that especially made me think, Ooh, I shoulda said that!

Still haven't seen The Return of Martin Guerre, but would like to.

finished "Black Mass" about Irish Gangsters and corrupt FBI agents in Boston over vacation...

just started "A Variety of Scientific Experience" by Carl Sagan...views on science and religion...i've never read Sagan before so i'm excited...

Currently reading 'Backgammon for winners' by bill robertie.

then ill hit up the party gammon tables and win mirrions!!

Are you two done yet? I'd approve if it was related to this thread, but you're essentially just whining at each other. Books only please.

You had to come in more than two hours later to say that?

Don't start with me old man. I had to scroll through all of that to get to the most recent stuff. I wasn't looking at time stamps.

I've recently finished Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut and Three's Cups of Tea.

Cat's Cradle is hard for me to describe. I started to write a review and deleted it because I'm tired. Regardless, this book was very good and very interesting. I don't think I'm smart enough to "get it" all, but there was definite commentary about religion, war, politics and people in general. Of course it's all very satiric and somewhat funny. This was my second Vonnegut book, Slaughterhouse Five was my first, and I cant' wait to read more. I thought this was better than Slaughterhouse Five and give it 5/5.

Three Cups of Tea was simply amazing. I never thought I would describe a book as "inspirational", but this book is. It's basically the biography (auto-biography?) of Greg Mortensen and his life mission to bring education to the people of NW Pakistan and NE Afghanistan. He basically stumbled into this position and reluctantly embarked on a path that once one he could not get off. I long for the day where I find something I am that passionate about and maybe that was why the book was so moving for me. Regardless, it is an interesting story about an interesting man doing something good in the world. It's worth reading and will help everyone gain a better understanding of Islam and the "war on terror" as well. An easy 5/5.

Next up, another McCarthy - All the Pretty Horses. This will be my fourth McCarthy book. The others are: The Road, No Country for Old Men and Blood Meridian, in that order.

I saw on a billboard the other day that Cheech and Chong are coming to one of our local casinos in a few weeks. Kind of makes me wish I still got high so I could get blasted and go watch them.

As for me, I've finished two books in the past week and picked up another that I had always wanted to read (and as of last night, I'm hooked on).

The Kid Who Climbed Everest by Bear Grylls.
This was a Christmas present from my sister, and I found it really, really enjoyable. I do love me some Bear though, I even named one of my kittens after him. This is the story about, as you probably guessed, his trip up Everest at the age of 24, making him the youngest Briton to ever climb it (at the time at least). There were some definite issues with the book, as it seemed to have not been edited and was just riddled with typos, but at the same time it was a first hand account by someone that I like about a subject that fascinates me, so it was definitely right up my alley. The peril of climbing the mountain, and the fear it inspired in Bear both transferred through his words very well. I found it pretty damn riveting and managed to finish it in just two reading sessions. If you like Bear and/or mountaineering (and can get past the many typos, which is hard I admit because it just kills the flow) I suggest it. I actually want to read more on this topic, and am going to try to find a book by Hillary about his ascent.

Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton (formerly 'The 13th Warrior')
I thought this was an interesting concept for a novel: a fictional account of Beowulf (or Buliwyf, as the book refers to him) as if it was coming from a first person, non-fiction perspective, complete with pedantic footnotes based upon the scholarly research of fictional professors/researchers. All I wanted was something I could get into, to drown out my dad's fiancee's non-stop mouth while on the road to and from Houston, and it worked perfectly. In general, it was pretty entertaining.

Now I've started on Catch-22 which I've always wanted to read but never had. About a quarter of the way through at this point, and I'm liking it. Wasn't so sure at first as I was expecting a more linear structure (since most books are) but after I found myself laughing out loud several times last night I began to warm up to it and look forward to reading more.

Thats why I like audiobooks. Dont have to worry about typos.... and the right voice just adds so much to the experience.

FYP. Of course, it was supposed to just be four and then the fourth book turned into two, so seven might end up being right. I love this series, but at the same time I hate fantasy series since they take years to develop and by the time the next book comes out I've forgotten about the previous ones and have to read them over again. After my fifth time through 'The Wheel of Time' series I just gave up until everything was published, and then I think Jordan died. With 'The Songs of Fire and Ice' I've still enjoyed reading all the novels again the two times I've done it. I guess I never knew how lucky I was when I picked up The Lord of the Rings fifty odd years after it's completion as a child.

Edit to add: I just checked wiki and see it has now been stretched out to seven books, my apologies. Goddammit. Please don't die Martin.

I cant wait to see what Sanderson does with the last WOT book....I dont think theres any way hes actually going to finish it up well in one book though.

I tried getting into Fire and Ice but the 1st part of the book seemed really slow for me. I know WOT is probably about the most complicated and slow series out there...but for some reason it was easier to read than fire and ice for me.

I'm interested just to see how big the damn book is going to be. Wiki has it coming in at 650,000+ words which is twice as many as any other book in the series and there are several that are over 1000 pages. I just want it finished, so I can read it start to finish beginning with New Spring.

I really liked new spring. Morraine is my favorite charcter by far and if they dont bring her back, after the tease he put in the last book, im going to be pissed.

Just finished "The Death of Ivan Ilych". Awesome novella, although VERY depressing. One of the finest things I've ever read on the subject of mortality and death.

Perrin and Mat are mine. I was so pissed with the one 700 page book that didn't even devote a chapter to Perrin (I believe, could be Mat it's been a while). Rand annoys the **** out of me. Another thing I like about the series is that I've been using it's characters as passwords for things forever, and I can seemingly never run out.

I've read lots of reviews on audible.com, though, and seen many people saying a particular reader was poor and detracted from a work. So I guess it runs both ways.

All in all, I'd prefer at least a first reading to be my own. And I enjoy readings more when either the subject is inherently very atmospheric and dramatic(like Edgar Allan Poe or Lovecraft) or the reader is exceptionally professional and crisply spoken.

I'm also no fan of gasping and mouth and throat noises. :P

Very true....more than likely theres some titles that I havent liked as much simply because of the reader. Usually the writer stays with the same reader. The UK version of harry potter's reader was awesome, WOT, and most of Kings books have the same reader too.

With WOT it was especially beneficial...its tough keeping up to speed in that book. Its a huge story....but with the audio book, I know exactly how Jordan intended the names to sound, and it seemed easier to remember everything.
I will unfortunately have to actually read the book when it comes out as the audiobook will probably take forever.

I only started listening to audiobooks because I had no time to read at home, so I listen to them on my ipod while I work and do chores and stuff. Now though I tend to enjoy audiobooks more than traditional reading.....as long as its unabridged.

I keep downloading them but not listening to them, because while I can read a book at the end of the evening without nodding off, listening to an audiobook at the end of the evening puts me to sleep almost instantly.

I also used to think I could listen to audiobooks while doing other things, but I find it takes as much concentration and exclusivity of attention as reading. If I am not really focussed on an audiobook, huge patches of it can float right on by me without my even registering them. They become like ambient noise unless I really pay strict attention to them. But then if I pay strict attention to them I often start falling asleep ... *sigh*

I'm better at books than audiobooks.

I can concentrate fine if Im typing or doing data processing or something....but as soon as I start reading I have to turn it off or I just tune it out.

Reading actually puts me more to sleep than the audiobooks...but my eyes get really tired and scratchy at the end of the night so thats probably why.

Did you ever finish the Wheel of Time Series? I started ti roughly a year and a half ago. The first 3-4 books were outright outstanding. I devoured each one in under a week. There were nights that I would finish one of the books and then drive down to the bookstore to buy and start the next one.

Starting at the end of book 5 I really began to be irritated at the characters and writing of this series. The main character seemed whiney and his emotions were incredibly repetitive. The two other sub-main characters (from the same village) were also starting to be incredily predictive.

I slogged through book 6 hoping that Jordan would come back to form and bring back life to the series. No dice. 6 was terrible. I grabbed book 7 and never made it past page 100.

On top of the characters starting to tilt me I feel that Jordan is drawing the plot out way too much. He is rehashing the same things over and over. It seems as if he does not know how to end the series and is just writing until he finds something. He really could have ended this around book 6.

this is definately the main issue most people have with the series. Maybe Im just being overly fan-boyish, but I loved it all, it obviosuly slowed down a lot, but I think what they did include in the last few books are going to be critical for the overall ending of the story.

I grew up on this series. I started it back in '93 right when I went into highschool, and I guess Ive developed an affinity for these characters more than any other author....even my favorite Mr King.

Id be happy if they wrote 5 more to be honest. Sanderson better not screw this up

just finished the audio book of Trial on Ice ...about the doomed 1871 US Polaris arctic expedition.......very interesting story of how not to run a polar expedition - murdering the captain never a good idea........

I finished As I Lay Dying.

Review to come.