Books You've Read Recently

#101
#101
Broken Valley: A Wartime Story of Isolation, Fear and Hope in a Remote East Tennessee Valley by. Gregory L. Wade
 
#102
#102
New Earth- Eckhart Tulle

One of the best books I've ever read. It's a spiritual psychology book, and has changed the way I approach everything. Much happier by applying what I've learned. People's BS doesn't upset me like it used to. For a lot of people, the book would be meaningless, but if you're ready for it, it can change you. I wouldn't have been ready for it 5 years ago, so if it sounds stupid now, think about trying it later.
 
Last edited:
#103
#103
Here are some other books I've read this year:

Exploding the Phone - Phil Lapsley
Xenocide - Orson Scott Card
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
The Invisible Hand in Popular Culture: Liberty vs Authority -Paul A. Cantor
Vienna vs Chicago: Friends or Foes - Mark Skousen
It's So Easy - Duff McKagan
The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress - Robert Heinlein
President Me - Adam Carrola

I highly recommend all of them except Xenocide.
 
#104
#104
The past couple of months I've read:

7 habits of highly effective people: Covey
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest: Kesey
The Road Less traveled: Peck
Siddhartha: Hesse
We the Living: Rand
Cabinet of curiosities: Preston and Child
Thunderhead: Preston and Child

Recommend all of them, especially Siddhartha. Very enlightening from a spiritual perspective.
 
#106
#106
Reading Ralph Peters "Red Army" right now and it's pretty good of what a war against the Warsaw Pact/NATO could have looked like.
 
#109
#109
n_huffhines said:
Here are some other books I've read this year:


I highly recommend all of them except Xenocide.
Click to expand...

I'd agree with that. Speaker for the Dead was pretty good as the 2nd book in the series, but Xenocide was meh. Never went on to the last one, because Xenocide was forgettable.

Read this year......

Stand on Zanzibar- John Brunner 7/10.
The Left Hand of Darkness- Ursula Le Giun 6/10
The Lathe of Heaven- also Ursula Le Guin 6/10.

Currently reading The Martian by Andy Weir. I was looking forward to this book. Thought it was an interesting concept and it had a bunch of great reviews. Sad to say I'm not impressed at all.

Up next will probably be either Hyperion or Game of Thrones.
 
Last edited:
#110
#110
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

What a life! One interesting new-to-me detail was how Jobs could've taken the market from Microsoft with his NeXT computer but didn't.
 
#111
#111
Just started the Dark Tower series - finishing the first book. Entertaining. I used to read everything from Stephen King but hadn't read anything from him for a good 25 years.
 
#112
#112
TheDeeble said:
I'd agree with that. Speaker for the Dead was pretty good as the 2nd book in the series, but Xenocide was meh. Never went on to the last one, because Xenocide was forgettable.
Click to expand...

I heard that Card was pressured by the publisher to complete a trilogy, and the story for Xenocide was something he'd been working on that was outside of the Ender saga. He just kinda repurposed it and turned it in like lazy HS senior using the same paper for 2 classes.
 
#113
#113
volinbham said:
Just started the Dark Tower series - finishing the first book. Entertaining. I used to read everything from Stephen King but hadn't read anything from him for a good 25 years.
Click to expand...

I'm hoping that after GoT is done HBO looks in that direction. This series deserves a proper adaptation.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#114
#114
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Tempted to read her other books... Not yet sure if I will.
 
#115
#115
Most recintly I've been on an Africa kick
Death in the Long Grass by Peter Hathaway Capstick
Death in a Lonely Land " " " "
Death in the Dark Continent " " "
all 3 of these are really entertaining. Stories about hunts, hunters, and animals of Africa

The Man-Eaters of Tsavo by Lt. Colonel J.H. Patterson (basis for the ghost and the darkness)
 
#116
#116
One of my favorite series of books that I have ever read, besides GoT and The Warded Man Series is...

Prince of Thorns: Book 1
King of Thorns: Book 2
Emperor of Thorns: Book 3....by Mark Lawrence

This series is excellent also...but there is a Prequel series, that stands alone from this one, to this that I didn't know about and wish I had bc I would have loved to read them in order

The Riyria Revelations:

Theft of Swords-Book 1
Rise of Empire-Book 2
Heir of Novron-Book 3...by Michael J Sullivan

Here are some more I have read in past yr and half...

Blood Song (A Raven's Shadow Novel, Book 1)
Tower Lord (A Raven's Shadow Novel, Book 2)...by Anthony Ryan....still reading

A Thirst of Vengeance, Part 1 (The Ashes Saga)
A Thirst of Vengeance, Part 2 (The Ashes Saga)...by Edward M Night

The Emperor's Blades (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne) by Brian Staveley

Seven Forges: Book 1
The Blasted Lands: Seven Forges Book 2...by James Moore

Shadow of the Winter King (World of Ruin Book 1)...by Erik Scott de Bie

Sorcerer's Ring: Books 1-9 (Different titles but continuous series)...by Morgan Rice
There are more than 9 books in the series but I needed a break.

The Walking Drum...by Louis L'Amour
 
Last edited:
#117
#117
I just finished Grapes of Wrath last night. It is the first time I had read it since my sophomore year in high school. Having somewhat recently finished Atlas Shrugged, I couldn't help noticing the stark contrast between the two in terms of their themes. Wrath focused on the virtue of self sacrifice for the "greater good" while Atlas and Rand's philosophy of objectivism as a whole, denounces this kind of self sacrifice and altruism as evil. Atlas and objectivism touts the virtue of rational selfishness. What would Rand and Steinbeck think of each others' greatest literary works respectively?
 
#119
#119
Sam:

Interesting question, but is it possible that Grapes is a veiled critique of the government created depression? Steinbeck and Rand may have more in common than you'd think. I've only read of Mice and Men, but it seems like someone was telling me that's how they interpreted Grapes. What are your thoughts? Don't they touch on the crop burning policy, and other New Deal measures?
 
#120
#120
n_huffhines said:
Sam:

Interesting question, but is it possible that Grapes is a veiled critique of the government created depression? Steinbeck and Rand may have more in common than you'd think. I've only read of Mice and Men, but it seems like someone was telling me that's how they interpreted Grapes. What are your thoughts? Don't they touch on the crop burning policy, and other New Deal measures?
Click to expand...

The only government the book seems to be critical of is the local deputies in the California towns where all the migrants are living and trying to work. The federal government didn't seem to get much criticism. In fact, there is a government camp where migrants are able to go that is described as somewhat of a utopia (at least by comparison to the hoovervilles that they were used to). All of the ills of the era seem to be blamed primarily on greedy capitalists and the selfishness of men, to which the antidote is a re-dedication to the collective or greater good. The crop burning is touched on and Steinbeck is very critical of that, but he seems like he puts more of the blame on the land owners/banks than the Agricultural Adjustment Administration.

Even the meanings of the titles of the books suggest polar opposite views pertaining to individualism vs collectivism. Atlas Shrugging represents the strongest individual pillars of society giving up his efforts to prop up his fellow man. The title of Grapes of Wrath glorifies the anger and wrath of the collective group against the seemingly unjust system of capitalism.

I realize that Steinbeck was trying to be critical of capitalism, but like Rand, he seems to actually be demonizing the crony capitalism that comes from government intervention in free markets. In that way, the two are similar, however, Steinbeck never really makes that connection. He simply lumps in capitalism with cronyism and blames it on the selfishness of the business owners.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#121
#121
SamRebel35 said:
The only government the book seems to be critical of is the local deputies in the California towns where all the migrants are living and trying to work. The federal government didn't seem to get much criticism. In fact, there is a government camp where migrants are able to go that is described as somewhat of a utopia (at least by comparison to the hoovervilles that they were used to). All of the ills of the era seem to be blamed primarily on greedy capitalists and the selfishness of men, to which the antidote is a re-dedication to the collective or greater good. The crop burning is touched on and Steinbeck is very critical of that, but he seems like he puts more of the blame on the land owners/banks than the Agricultural Adjustment Administration.

Even the meanings of the titles of the books suggest polar opposite views pertaining to individualism vs collectivism. Atlas Shrugging represents the strongest individual pillars of society giving up his efforts to prop up his fellow man. The title of Grapes of Wrath glorifies the anger and wrath of the collective group against the seemingly unjust system of capitalism.

I realize that Steinbeck was trying to be critical of capitalism, but like Rand, he seems to actually be demonizing the crony capitalism that comes from government intervention in free markets. In that way, the two are similar, however, Steinbeck never really makes that connection. He simply lumps in capitalism with cronyism and blames it on the selfishness of the business owners.
Click to expand...

Understandably so. Half the people I know do the same thing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 person
#125
#125
bamacheats said:
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

What a life! One interesting new-to-me detail was how Jobs could've taken the market from Microsoft with his NeXT computer but didn't.
Click to expand...

I finished that a few months ago. Jobs was his greatest enemy at times. But my god, he changed computing.

I reading Game of Thrones now. About to start Clash of Kings.
 
New posts
You must log in or register to reply here.

VN Store



Back
Top