Reading is Sexy: Books Part II

[nadie]

Hello Nadine, a good dystopian novel is Ben Elton's Blind Faith. Quite funny and satirical too.

Thankya! Sounds good... rejection of science... compulsory religious faith... that's exactly the kind of horror scenario that I find interesting!

 

[U2isthebest]

Starting The Bell Jar.

I love that book. I think I wrote it about it in this thread or the first one after I read it. It starts off slow, but once it draws you in you're hooked. It's so descriptive. It makes you feel like you're experiencing every thing Esther is.

 

[U2isthebest]

I finished Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows yesterday. It was utterly brilliant. It's definitely the best of the series and also my favorite. I can see why they're making it into 2 movies. There is so much action and description that there's not much that can be taken out and keep the integrity of the book. The whole thing keeps you on the edge of your seat. However, I find it hard to compare it to the other 6 because it's so different. I think I mentioned before how I was never allowed to read the books growing up like all my friends because my parents and church thought they were "satanic". However, my friends got me started on them last fall, and I fell in love with them. They're so well-written and have such good messages about life told in a unique and fun way. There's really not a mediocre one in the bunch.

ETA: I'm about to start "All The President's Men" by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. I picked it up at Borders a couple weeks ago. I read the first chapter then, and it really reeled me in. Nixon FAIL.

 

[No spoken words]

Thankya! Sounds good... rejection of science... compulsory religious faith... that's exactly the kind of horror scenario that I find interesting!

Check out any number of books by Philip K. Dick. Most of his catalogue is about dystopian societies and such.

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell has certain parts of the book that are about dystopian societies and is a wonderful read.

Of course, there's The Road by Cormac McCarthy.

Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin is another one.

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace ( RIP )

I'm sure that you've already seen and/or read A Clockwork Orange.

And then there are works by Vonnegut, Bradbury, William Gibson, Harlan Ellison and William Burroughs.

Hope that helps....

 

[nadie]

Thanks for the long list, No spoken words! I'll have to check those out. I actually haven't read any of those yet.

Not sure if it has been mentioned in this thread yet, but A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (author of The Kite Runner) is a fabulous book.

 

[No spoken words]

Thanks for the long list, No spoken words! I'll have to check those out. I actually haven't read any of those yet.

Not sure if it has been mentioned in this thread yet, but A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (author of The Kite Runner) is a fabulous book.

No problem; if you do read any of those, please let me know your thoughts!

 

[Village Idiot]

Thankya! Sounds good... rejection of science... compulsory religious faith... that's exactly the kind of horror scenario that I find interesting!

No worries you're most welcome.

BTW i take it you've been through the usual 1984, Brave New World duo. If not they're worth look into.

Also check out Swastika Night by Katharine Burdekin.

 

[Village Idiot]

Welcome!

I'd say the only "wrong" way to start on this site is to have your first post be "U2 sucks lol!"

thanks for the welcome. "U2 sucks" hmmm I must confess i did toy with the idea of posting that.

 

[powerhour24]

I'm currently reading Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Baghdad's Green Zone, and Bret Easton Ellis' Lunar Park and man is that weird but I'm enjoying it so much more than his other work although its interesting given my lukewarm opinion of him to see him exploring his own life and work through such an odd narrative.

 

[Dani California]

Oooh I finished Tell me something.......excellent read.

I'm glad someone mentioned a thousand splendid suns I have that on my pile, might read that next I think.

 

[Horizon40]

Can You Recommend Some Good Books?

I'm going on vacation in a bit, and I'm in need of some books to keep me occupied on the way over. Of course I've read "In Conversation" (three times, actually), but I'm trying to branch out and find some classics. Stuff I wouldn't normally stumble upon. I just picked up Hemmingway's "The Sun Also Rises", and I want a few others. Keep in mind, I'm an 18-year-old dude, so no Victorian romances please I'm also quote interested in any literature Bono has mentioned or written about. I like the insight into his mind / lyrics.

 

[No spoken words]

I'm going on vacation in a bit, and I'm in need of some books to keep me occupied on the way over. Of course I've read "In Conversation" (three times, actually), but I'm trying to branch out and find some classics. Stuff I wouldn't normally stumble upon. I just picked up Hemmingway's "The Sun Also Rises", and I want a few others. Keep in mind, I'm an 18-year-old dude, so no Victorian romances please I'm also quote interested in any literature Bono has mentioned or written about. I like the insight into his mind / lyrics.

East of Eden by Steinbeck.

 

[Horizon40]

East of Eden by Steinbeck.

Just looked that up. Exactly the type of thing I'm looking for, and there's one left at my local Chapters. Thanks.

 

[ShipOfFools]

I'm currently reading Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince

 

[U2isthebest]

I'm currently reading Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince

Awesome. Heart-breaking ending.

 

[powerhour24]

East of Eden by Steinbeck.

 

[vivalapopedge]

in the middle of three books currently: their eyes were watching god and all quiet on the western front for my ap english class, angela's ashes for my irish literature class and three cups of tea finally, for fun!

i read angela's ashes and all quiet when i was younger, and they both had a profound impact on my thoughts about ireland and war, respectively, and they both helped to form my current opinions on both. i'm interested in going back to them at this point in my life to see what i think of them nowadays....

 

[vivalapopedge]

I'm going on vacation in a bit, and I'm in need of some books to keep me occupied on the way over. Of course I've read "In Conversation" (three times, actually), but I'm trying to branch out and find some classics. Stuff I wouldn't normally stumble upon. I just picked up Hemmingway's "The Sun Also Rises", and I want a few others. Keep in mind, I'm an 18-year-old dude, so no Victorian romances please I'm also quote interested in any literature Bono has mentioned or written about. I like the insight into his mind / lyrics.

i just saw a presentation in school today on oscar wilde, so i'm thinking the picture of dorian gray but i don't actually know if bono read that, or just namechecked it??? it's definitely intriguing

 

[No spoken words]

Just looked that up. Exactly the type of thing I'm looking for, and there's one left at my local Chapters. Thanks.

Please let us know what you think of it, ok?

 

[U2isthebest]

I recently read a book called Mike is a Douchebag. It was pretty great.

 

[ShipOfFools]

Awesome. Heart-breaking ending.

Yes it is. This is my second time reading it, and it was heartbreaking when you get to the end.

 

[Horizon40]

Please let us know what you think of it, ok?

Will do. I'm gunna pick it up this weekend. Might take a while to finish, because I'm also about to start "Slaughterhouse Five" for my Writers Craft class. But now I'm quite looking forward to reading it.

 

[A_Wanderer]

Theory and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science

Its an interesting read, it is entry level and quite practical, next up is Reading Lolita in Tehran.

 

[No spoken words]

I recently read a book called Mike is a Douchebag. It was pretty great.

Awww, hookers like to read too.

 

[Saracene]

I've read Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass I loved them as a child and it was great to revisit the books, now in original English.

I've also finished Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult, which I enjoyed a lot like I have most of her books. I'm very annoyed though that I looked at the last page which revealed the final twist

 

[daygloeyes2]

I've also finished Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult, which I enjoyed a lot like I have most of her books. I'm very annoyed though that I looked at the last page which revealed the final twist

I Jodi Picoult

 

[U2isthebest]

Awww, hookers like to read too.

We have to get our edu-ma-cashun too bitchez!!!21!

 

[vivalapopedge]

I Jodi Picoult

ahhhh me too! one of my friends has connections to a borders around here, so she got an advance copy of the new book - it's so advance it doesn't even have a picture for the front page i've been pestering her to finish it up already so i can read it!

 

[corianderstem]

She has another new book already? Sheesh!

I haven't gotten around to reading Change of Heart yet.

 

[vivalapopedge]

She has another new book already? Sheesh!

I haven't gotten around to reading Change of Heart yet.

i know, i was shocked too!

it's called handle with care, and the back cover of it was really vague cos i think she's still working out the details, but it's something about a kid who has a really bad disease and like the struggle his parents go through
looks intriguing