NorthRaider Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 When my local library finally gets the damn thing in, I'm going to read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. Good choice? It's hard to say, since I've never read it. From what I've heard, though, you will either absolutely love it or absolutely hate it. Absolutely. No middle ground as far as Rand and her frakkin' doorstopper-sized filibusters are concerned Of course I have yet to read Atlas Shrugged myself, but judging from what other people who have read it's just too damn long. The one character near the end who just rambles on for 86 pages straight is legendary, you'll probably be better off with one of Rand's shorter books like Anthem. Less deadwood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MinnesotaIceman Posted December 2, 2009 Share Posted December 2, 2009 Absolutely. No middle ground as far as Rand and her frakkin' doorstopper-sized filibusters are concerned Of course I have yet to read Atlas Shrugged myself, but judging from what other people who have read it's just too damn long. The one character near the end who just rambles on for 86 pages straight is legendary, you'll probably be better off with one of Rand's shorter books like Anthem. Less deadwood. Even many people who agree with Rand's philosophy (don't worry, I won't go there; I have no intention of violating the "no politics" rule) say that the book is incredibly boring. I'll just take their word for it, especially after reading your post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimadman Posted December 17, 2009 Share Posted December 17, 2009 Is anyone else reading Under the Dome by Stephen King? It's really good and addictive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jatta Pake Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I'm a few weeks away from officially becoming a Dad, so it must be why I've been reading a lot of post-apocolyptic books. (Am I worried about the future for my children?) For some reason, I also seem to read a lot during the months of December and January. Anyways, here are my recommended readings for the upcoming post-apocolypse. The Giver by Lois Lowry 1993. Young adult book that many of the younger members may have read in school. Simply an amazing book. Boy is selected to become the new receiver of memories for this twisted dystopian society of the future. What path will he choose? The Road by Cormac McCarthy 2006. Skip the movie and read the book. This one will haunt your soul. I couldn't put the book down. Work of a genius. A father and son travel the road south seeking salvation on a dead planet Earth. Will they survive the darkest horrors of humanity? The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 2008. Another young adult book that is easy and fast to read, but thoroughly enjoyable. Not quite as dark as the other two, but strangley compelling. A sixteen year-old girl is thrown into the Hunger Games, an annual fight to the death between 24 children from the conquered Districts. The games are televised live for the enjoyment of the wealthy Capitol and serve to keep the Districts in line and under control. This will be a movie trilogy on the scale of Twilight in a few years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trekker 42 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Finished all the Dresden books currently out. And now I am reading Scott Westerfield's new book Leviathan. Slow start... hope it gets better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimadman Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I'm a few weeks away from officially becoming a Dad, so it must be why I've been reading a lot of post-apocolyptic books. (Am I worried about the future for my children?) For some reason, I also seem to read a lot during the months of December and January. Anyways, here are my recommended readings for the upcoming post-apocolypse. The Road by Cormac McCarthy 2006. Skip the movie and read the book. This one will haunt your soul. I couldn't put the book down. Work of a genius. A father and son travel the road south seeking salvation on a dead planet Earth. Will they survive the darkest horrors of humanity? I loved The Road. I have bought that book at least 4 times as gifts for people because it is so good. I finished Under The Dome and while I liked it the ending leaves a bit to be desired *MAJOR SPOILERS*** The dome is caused by alien children torturing a less advanced species kind of like a kid with a magnifying glass burning ants and King created a character that I absolutely hated who meets a death that is much better than he deserved *MAJOR SPOILERS*. I have started reading Angelas Ashes again and it is still awesome. Jatta in preparation for fatherhood you should read Big Fish. The movie is ok but does not even scratch the surface of the father & son story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minijeff Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I just read and finished 'Its begining to look a lot like Zombies' a book of zombie christmas carols and laughed myself crazy the whole way through it "He's eating a wrist, chewing it twice, a little fresh brain with pepper is nice, Zombie Claus is coming to town" now onward to "Looking for Calvin and Hobbes" before my book of Tony Harris' art gets here. Jeff of the Miniacs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turtle Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 I recently finished reading The Yiddish Policemen's Union, The Natural History of Unicorns, and Mouseguard Fall and Winter. All top notch. The Natural History of Unicorns is really a must read for anyone who is into fun facts and tracing the roots of mythological innovations. So much has gone into influencing this mythological beast. It is just a rich and informative exploration, really, of humanity's attempt to make sense of the world. Mouseguard has been on the top of my to-read list for ages, and I am completely in love with it. The Yiddish Policemen's Union- you really can't go wrong with Michael Chabon. Now it's onto the rest of the books I got for Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
handsomedevil Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 After hearing good things on here, I read World War Z. I found it a little slow at first, but once it started getting into the individual accounts of the events I liked it. I don't read much and don't like long books... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
groundhog7s Posted January 14, 2010 Share Posted January 14, 2010 (edited) I found out in a meeting today that the author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is writing a new book, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. I saw a picture of the back of the book and it's a shot of Lincoln from the back with an axe and severed head. To me, the best part is the author is coming to our company to sign a bunch of copies and I should be able to work it out to be there. Edited January 14, 2010 by groundhog7s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entertheninja! Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Right now I'm reading 1984 by George Orwell. It is absolutely great! I find it astonishing that a man ithe 1940's couldve been so spot on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Harris Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Right now I'm reading 1984 by George Orwell. It is absolutely great! I find it astonishing that a man ithe 1940's couldve been so spot on. Ever read Jules Verne? I hadn't much free time to read during the semester since I had to read truckloads of books for my classes, but since it's over, I was looking around a little. I recently read "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Zombie Jim". It's the same idea as the Austen books, but since I'm not an Austen fan I read this one. It is nice, sticks to the original plot and adds a zombie subplot. Not the best thing ever, but enjoyable. Only bad thing: it costs around 15 bucks but only about 200 pages. If someones interested, I'd like to give it since my available space in my suitacases is very limited. (Just paypal me a few bucks for the book plus shipping, and it's yours.) I also started to read the Sookie Stackhouse / True Boold books, because a lot of people around here told me the series is pretty good. I just finished the first book and enjoyed it and now start reading the second. Nothing groundbreaking, but nice. I also got "Kavalier and Clay" as an audio book on my ipod so I'll have an exciting flight back home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
super spider piggy Posted January 15, 2010 Share Posted January 15, 2010 Im reading The Return of the Indian, the second book in the "Indian and the Cupboard" series... You guys read the Olympians, so its a fair trade off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambitron Posted January 16, 2010 Share Posted January 16, 2010 (edited) I just finished reading the Star Wars Darth Bane Dynasty of Evil book and enjoyed it (which is normal for me and Star wars books) It had a great ending that left you with an unanswered question which I love as it leaves me craving more! Kind of like Lost, I just can't get enough! Edited January 16, 2010 by gambitron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entertheninja! Posted January 25, 2010 Share Posted January 25, 2010 Two days ago I brought "Shutter Island" by Dennis Lehane. It's really good I am however surprised at how fast paced it is! There litterally was no intro just straight on dialogue and interaction. Anyone else read it? Oh I also finished 1984 by Orwell and I loved it! The man was a genius! The ending was a bit weird at first but after letting it set I appreciated it more. What should I read next? It's between Fight Club, Lovely Bones, or Animal Farm. I also meanwhile have not finished The Last Olympian. Damn good books... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM2 Dinobot Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Artemis Fowl. Holly Short is one of those characters I could really see myself being obsessed with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimadman Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Two days ago I brought "Shutter Island" by Dennis Lehane. It's really good I am however surprised at how fast paced it is! There litterally was no intro just straight on dialogue and interaction. Anyone else read it? What should I read next? I read Shutter Island a little over 2 years ago and liked it. Very interesting ending. If you like Shutter Island you should check out the Kenzie/Gennaro that Dennis Lehane wrote, they are some of my favorite books. They are (in order) A Drink Before the War Darkness Take My Hand Sacred Gone, Baby, Gone Prayers For Rain They are modern day noir stories about 2 private detectives in Boston. Gone, Baby, Gone was made into a pretty good movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trekker 42 Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 Right now I decided to read my first Dan Brown novel: Angles and Demons. I don't think I'm going to read The Da Vinci Code, for religious reasons as well as the fact that the story does not appeal to much to me and if the movie is an indication, I'll be bored. Plus I know the ending. However A&D is AWESOME! I now want to read Lost Symbol really badly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entertheninja! Posted January 29, 2010 Share Posted January 29, 2010 (edited) Why doen't the Multiverse have a book club yet? I think it would be a good idea...we could cycle thru members, and whoever it is that week gets to choose the book...Idk but Shutter Island is getting good; I like the comic relief from the new detective. He's snappy! I kind think there's a huge conspiracy behind the events in the story. Cawley's up to something, I can smell it... oh and if any of the Muse fans on here listen to their song "Resistance" it follows the plot of 1984. So does the rest of the album except for the Exogenesis symphonies...they mention the Thought Police and everything... oh and turtle, care to tell me if The Yiddish Policemans union is really worth it? I read a synopsis and it read as being very busy. Edited January 30, 2010 by entertheninja! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimadman Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Idk but Shutter Island is getting good; I like the comic relief from the new detective. He's snappy! I kind think there's a huge conspiracy behind the events in the story. Cawley's up to something, I can smell it. you have no idea what you are in for. I'd be down for a book club of sorts. Lot of logistics to work out but it could be fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthRaider Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 (edited) A small caveat about Dan Brown's books Trekker: the man is so atrociously formulaic that once you've read one book you've read them all. I haven't read The Lost Symbol yet, but having read Brown's four other books (woe is me) it didn't really feel necessary. And if we can find more boardies to take part then I wouldn't mind a book club... I'd prefer it start sometime after April though, once I've (hopefully) secured my college degree. oh and if any of the Muse fans on here listen to their song "Resistance" it follows the plot of 1984. So does the rest of the album except for the Exogenesis symphonies...they mention the Thought Police and everything... I don't know about 1984 (since it's practically the go-to pop-cultural reference for evil government conspiracies), but their previous albums like Absolution and Black Holes and Revelations had a very dystopian feel to it too. Apparently Matt Bellamy (Muse's frontman) is very into all this esoteric stuff. Speaking of which, a reading list update: Just got myself Dan Simmons' Hyperion, am really excited to try it! And an xkcd strip from a few weeks ago made me want to find Kurt Vonnegut's The Sirens of Titan. Am still on my hunt for Douglas Adams' Dirk Gently books, not to mention Heinlein's Starship Troopers. After this scifi kick of mine, I'm gonne find Dianna Wynne Jones' The Tough Guide to Fantasyland. I hear it's hilarious. Edited January 30, 2010 by NorthRaider Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entertheninja! Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Trying to finish Shutter Island by Sunday... read more than half of it yester-night (?). It's getting pretty damn frantic but it still is getting better and better each chapter. I'm on Day 3 as of yet. Why the HELL did Teddy have to take the pills? IDIOT!!!! He knows that's how Cawley gets more test subjects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gambitron Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I am currently reading Star Wars Crosscurrent and am really enjoying a good story that doesn't involve the main characters from Star Wars (I like the ones that do too though). I get sad when I have to wait for new SW literature. I am obsessed and tend to devour it as soon as I get my hands on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buttheadsmate Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 I can't hold a decent conversation about books...... except for the works of George Orwell . I must have read them all in my teens which as you all know is long ago but not long enough to know that I learned much about life from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
entertheninja! Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 Holy crap I just finished Shutter Island. What the hell? It's crazy! The ending is absolutely the best part in the whole book. It is a 100% curveball! I really enjoyed this book probably mostly because of the ideas Lehane sparks in your mind as you read it; you start to think of hundreds of different endings but in the ending, you feel like a dumba-s because that'd the only one you didn't expect. One of the best books I've read in a while. I never expected teddy to be laeddis. I never even expected that the whole thing was just one big psyche evaluation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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