-
Welcome Back to Digital Pinball Fans - please read this first
What are you reading?
- Thread starter Gord Lacey
- Start date
DeeEff
New member
- Feb 28, 2013
- 495
- 0
Please give (at least) a mini review when you're done? It's on my "intrigued but hesitant to read yet another Brown treasure chase" list.
Tabe
Member
- Apr 12, 2012
- 833
- 0
I read non-fiction exclusively. I lean toward sports biographies and political stuff. Here's what I've been up to lately:
Playing for Keeps by David Halberstam - Halberstam's excellent bio of Michael Jordan. Really good material and excellent insights but a bit-too-fawning in its praise of Jordan.
Straight Flush by Ben Mezrich - The story of the rise and fall of Absolute Poker and their cheating scandal. A fun read, I tore through this in a day. Not real heavy on scholarship, concentrating too much on the fast life the founders were leading. Also a bit too accepting of the version of the cheating story being told.
It's True, It's True by Kurt Angle - Pro wrestler Kurt Angle's autobiography from several years ago. Typical stuff for the genre. Not bad, not great.
The Kurt Angle book is just a filler until I get this one in the mail:
Juke Box Hero by Lou Gramm - Lou Gramm was the lead singer of Foreigner for 25 years (basically) and this is his autobiography. Just found out about it yesterday and ordered it immediately. Am concerned at its short length (just 240 pages) but I'm sure I'll enjoy it. Foreigner is my favorite band of all-time, can't wait to read this one!
Playing for Keeps by David Halberstam - Halberstam's excellent bio of Michael Jordan. Really good material and excellent insights but a bit-too-fawning in its praise of Jordan.
Straight Flush by Ben Mezrich - The story of the rise and fall of Absolute Poker and their cheating scandal. A fun read, I tore through this in a day. Not real heavy on scholarship, concentrating too much on the fast life the founders were leading. Also a bit too accepting of the version of the cheating story being told.
It's True, It's True by Kurt Angle - Pro wrestler Kurt Angle's autobiography from several years ago. Typical stuff for the genre. Not bad, not great.
The Kurt Angle book is just a filler until I get this one in the mail:
Juke Box Hero by Lou Gramm - Lou Gramm was the lead singer of Foreigner for 25 years (basically) and this is his autobiography. Just found out about it yesterday and ordered it immediately. Am concerned at its short length (just 240 pages) but I'm sure I'll enjoy it. Foreigner is my favorite band of all-time, can't wait to read this one!
- Feb 19, 2012
- 1,991
- 3
- Thread starter
- #24
I've been reading (off and on - mostly off), David Attenborough's "Life on Air" biography. It's filled with fascinating tales of his travels around the world to film material for his shows. Really, really good stuff.
- Feb 19, 2012
- 8,144
- 2
I just started the classic "Captain Blood".
N
netizen
Guest
Since last posting I have read:
The main novels and about 6 short stories from "The Tales of The Company." A series by Kage Baker about Dr. Zeus Inc. generally it is about time travelling cyborgs and pirates from an anthropological perspective on history. Well, actually there's a hell of a lot more, but to discuss it would be spoiler-ific.
I also read a 1960s sci-fi adventure called "Bill, the Galactic Hero" it was a bit like Starship Troopers and The Naked Lunch all mashed together with a twist of bugs bunny.
Based on the recommendations here I read the first 2 Jack Reacher books ... Holy 90s batman.
Presently I have decided to wrap my head around a large brick. I have begun reading "Foucault's Pendulum" by Umberto Eco. Thus far, about 200 pages in, it is rather funny, very obtuse, goes off on very, very long tangents, and has my next two books picked out for me based on a random comment from a tangent.
The next two books, which are equally large bricks of literature are "Gone With the Wind" and "War and Peace." The tangential anecdote that has selected these not pocketbook sized tomes was a writer, in the book I am currently reading, commenting that if you swap the protagonists names and locations, the two books are interchangeable.
Now, seeing as I haven't read either book to the end, I tried War and Peace before, then I cannot prove or disprove this quip. So, I am flummoxed. I can pass this quip off as an anecdote and hope, just hope that no-one calls my lazy intellectual posturing. Or I can read them, and maybe, i'll be done before xmas.
The main novels and about 6 short stories from "The Tales of The Company." A series by Kage Baker about Dr. Zeus Inc. generally it is about time travelling cyborgs and pirates from an anthropological perspective on history. Well, actually there's a hell of a lot more, but to discuss it would be spoiler-ific.
I also read a 1960s sci-fi adventure called "Bill, the Galactic Hero" it was a bit like Starship Troopers and The Naked Lunch all mashed together with a twist of bugs bunny.
Based on the recommendations here I read the first 2 Jack Reacher books ... Holy 90s batman.
Presently I have decided to wrap my head around a large brick. I have begun reading "Foucault's Pendulum" by Umberto Eco. Thus far, about 200 pages in, it is rather funny, very obtuse, goes off on very, very long tangents, and has my next two books picked out for me based on a random comment from a tangent.
The next two books, which are equally large bricks of literature are "Gone With the Wind" and "War and Peace." The tangential anecdote that has selected these not pocketbook sized tomes was a writer, in the book I am currently reading, commenting that if you swap the protagonists names and locations, the two books are interchangeable.
Now, seeing as I haven't read either book to the end, I tried War and Peace before, then I cannot prove or disprove this quip. So, I am flummoxed. I can pass this quip off as an anecdote and hope, just hope that no-one calls my lazy intellectual posturing. Or I can read them, and maybe, i'll be done before xmas.
Last edited:
N
netizen
Guest
I had read the series before, but did it when "The Sons of Heaven" was first released, and the last thing I remembered was that it didn't involve cyborgs striding through time, disrupter pistols firing wildly. I found the books pretty readable until the Earl of Finsbury, and anything involving the word "Shrack."
Yet, I had trouble with the entire plot once the guilt trips started after Mars II ... So much blah blah. But the Captain was cool, if a bit stale.
Yes, it is hard to look at a bar of Theobromos the same way again.
Yet, I had trouble with the entire plot once the guilt trips started after Mars II ... So much blah blah. But the Captain was cool, if a bit stale.
Yes, it is hard to look at a bar of Theobromos the same way again.
SKILL_SHOT
Banned
- Jul 11, 2012
- 3,659
- 1
This website all day...I should be a MOD! 
yeah right that would be like a NUKE! although i do like the feature to go to the last post after yours so you dont have to scroll down every time.
yeah right that would be like a NUKE! although i do like the feature to go to the last post after yours so you dont have to scroll down every time.
- Feb 19, 2012
- 1,991
- 3
- Thread starter
- #30
I just finished "Heads in Beds," by Jacob Tomsky. It's all about his time working in the hotel industry, with interesting stories about how everything works. It's not as good as 'Hotel Babylon," which is full of interesting stories about things that happen at a high-end hotel in London (true stories). This is more about his journey in the hotel industry, with few stories about guests.
Now I'm back to "The Dead Man" series, but I just bought a ton of Parker novels because I saw some of them were doubling in price on Amazon (I think I have 20 of them now, with 4 more to buy).
Now I'm back to "The Dead Man" series, but I just bought a ton of Parker novels because I saw some of them were doubling in price on Amazon (I think I have 20 of them now, with 4 more to buy).
- Feb 19, 2012
- 1,991
- 3
- Thread starter
- #32
A friend said Adam Copeland would have been a good choice for Reacher, and after looking at him on IMDB, I'd have to agree. He's 6'5" (check), 240 lbs (check), decent looking guy (check), 39 (yeah, not bad), box office name (oops).
- Feb 19, 2012
- 8,144
- 2
This is a damn good book. Can't go wrong with an Irish pirate.
Kolchak357
Senior Pigeon
- May 31, 2012
- 8,102
- 2
Captain Blood is free for the Kindle edition. Just downloaded it. Thanks for the recommendation. Pirates rule!
N
netizen
Guest
I always forget to use the Kindle app to search for books .. and lo there were a bunch of Rafael Sabatini books for free. Piratical adventure Ho!
- Feb 19, 2012
- 8,144
- 2
You're welcome, and agreed, matey
I'm actually reading the free version in iBooks. Public domain, ftw.Man-Machine
New member
- Dec 6, 2012
- 163
- 0
River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh. I read a lot of Indian novels because I like India and have traveled there quite much. This is part two of a trilogy. Style: Epic.
Next one will probably be Skagaboys by Irvine Welsh.
Next one will probably be Skagaboys by Irvine Welsh.
Tabe
Member
- Apr 12, 2012
- 833
- 0
Here's what I've been reading:
Juke Box Hero by Lou Gramm - Excellent, if far too short, bio by the former lead singer of Foreigner. Covers his full career but is a bit short on dirt and really needed to be longer (it's only about 180 pages).
Retro Gamer - I have a big backlog of this incredible magazine from the UK and have slowly been making my way through them. For those that don't know, Retro Gamer is a magazine that covers all manner of video and computer games released up through about 1995 with a heavy emphasis on European computer systems from the 1980s. Every month is a wealth of information. I've been reading it since the first issue (they're on issue 140 or something now) and just love it. If you're not reading it, you should be. And the best part about having a big backlog is that, since the games are all 20+ years old, the magazine itself never really gets dated. Doesn't matter what order I read them in!
Juke Box Hero by Lou Gramm - Excellent, if far too short, bio by the former lead singer of Foreigner. Covers his full career but is a bit short on dirt and really needed to be longer (it's only about 180 pages).
Retro Gamer - I have a big backlog of this incredible magazine from the UK and have slowly been making my way through them. For those that don't know, Retro Gamer is a magazine that covers all manner of video and computer games released up through about 1995 with a heavy emphasis on European computer systems from the 1980s. Every month is a wealth of information. I've been reading it since the first issue (they're on issue 140 or something now) and just love it. If you're not reading it, you should be. And the best part about having a big backlog is that, since the games are all 20+ years old, the magazine itself never really gets dated. Doesn't matter what order I read them in!
Sumez
New member
- Nov 19, 2012
- 985
- 0
I'm currently going through the Song of Ice and Fire series. Heaviest books I've ever read. (I did read LOTR a couple of decades ago, but that's technically three books)
If you thought Game of Thrones is a good series, it's nothing compared how good a writer George R. R. Martin is when you see it penned. There's so much thought put into every single sentence. No wonder it takes him so many years to finish one book.
Usually I'm more into "classic" fiction, this is probably the newest books I've read since House of Leaves, but definitely worth picking up.
If you thought Game of Thrones is a good series, it's nothing compared how good a writer George R. R. Martin is when you see it penned. There's so much thought put into every single sentence. No wonder it takes him so many years to finish one book.
Usually I'm more into "classic" fiction, this is probably the newest books I've read since House of Leaves, but definitely worth picking up.
