Summer Reading
- ndansmith
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Summer Reading
So what are you reading this summer (in English)?
I have read these:
The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead
Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Assasination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
What's in the queue:
Moby **** by Herman Melville
The World is Flay by Thomas Friedman
The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Lequin
The Brothers K by David James Duncan
EDIT: I cannot believe the phpBB censored the name of the one of the greatest novels of all time.
I have read these:
The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead
Savage Inequalities by Jonathan Kozol
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Assasination Vacation by Sarah Vowell
What's in the queue:
Moby **** by Herman Melville
The World is Flay by Thomas Friedman
The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Lequin
The Brothers K by David James Duncan
EDIT: I cannot believe the phpBB censored the name of the one of the greatest novels of all time.
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Well, I haven't been reading that much this summer so far. Well, here is what little I've read -
The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
I recommend both, though I recommend Udolpho more strongly than Paladin.
I am currently reading two books now simutaneously - The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein. I expect to finish both books. I also plan to read Northanger Abbey sometime this summer as well - I have never liked Jane Austen, but I feel I should give this one a try since it's supposed to be a spoof of sorts of The Mysteries of Udolpho.
BTW - The Farthest Shore is IMHO one of the lesser Earthsea books, but still worth reading, especially since you need the background to read The Other Wind, which is at present my favorite Earthsea book.
The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe
Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold
I recommend both, though I recommend Udolpho more strongly than Paladin.
I am currently reading two books now simutaneously - The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert Heinlein. I expect to finish both books. I also plan to read Northanger Abbey sometime this summer as well - I have never liked Jane Austen, but I feel I should give this one a try since it's supposed to be a spoof of sorts of The Mysteries of Udolpho.
BTW - The Farthest Shore is IMHO one of the lesser Earthsea books, but still worth reading, especially since you need the background to read The Other Wind, which is at present my favorite Earthsea book.
Currently I'm reading (when I feel like it):
The First Emperor of China by Jonathan Clements
The Lost Tomb by Kent R. Weeks
I also have, among other unread/partially read books:
A War Like No Other by Victor Davis Hanson
A Night to Remember by Walter Lord
The Fifty Year War by Norman Friedman
Shield of Faith by B. Bruce-Briggs
Hannibal by Theodore Ayrault Dodge
The First Emperor of China by Jonathan Clements
The Lost Tomb by Kent R. Weeks
I also have, among other unread/partially read books:
A War Like No Other by Victor Davis Hanson
A Night to Remember by Walter Lord
The Fifty Year War by Norman Friedman
Shield of Faith by B. Bruce-Briggs
Hannibal by Theodore Ayrault Dodge
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Re: Summer Reading
I suppose the people who programmed phpBB never understood that sometimes, a whale really is only a whale.ndansmith wrote: Moby **** by Herman Melville
EDIT: I cannot believe the phpBB censored the name of the one of the greatest novels of all time.
I'm almost through reading the Garry Wills' new translation of Augustine's Confessions and have Peter Brown's biography of Augustine after that. I also picked up a copy of Oscar Levant's Memoirs of an Amnesiac for fun. I really would love to get a copy of the new autobiography of Neil Armstrong's.
Chris
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Re: Summer Reading
I have never been so disappointed with a book as with Moby ****. Apart from the detailed instructions on how to cut up a whale, the whole thing was very bland. Ahab's madness doesn't really come out at all through his actions or words. It's there because Melville says it's there - I saw little evidence of it. The first few chapters were entertaining, then it became increasingly dull.ndansmith wrote: Moby **** by Herman Melville
EDIT: I cannot believe the phpBB censored the name of the one of the
greatest novels of all time.
“Cum ego verbo utar,” Humpty Dumpty dixit voce contempta, “indicat illud quod optem – nec plus nec minus.”
“Est tamen rogatio” dixit Alice, “an efficere verba tot res indicare possis.”
“Rogatio est, “Humpty Dumpty responsit, “quae fiat magister – id cunctum est.”
“Est tamen rogatio” dixit Alice, “an efficere verba tot res indicare possis.”
“Rogatio est, “Humpty Dumpty responsit, “quae fiat magister – id cunctum est.”
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I try to round-robin a few core texts that reflect my current interests. These presently include:
De Anima - tr. by Joseph Sachs
The Doctrine of Being in the Aristotelian Metaphysics - Joseph Owens
The Psychology of Aristotle - Franz Brentano
What is the Name of This Book - Raymond Smullyan
The Web of Belief - W.V. Quine
The Great Dialogue of Nature and Space - Yves Simon
Psychology from an Empirical Standpoint - Franz Brentano
A Hundred Years of Philosophy - John Passmore
Pathmarks - Martin Heidegger
-pb
De Anima - tr. by Joseph Sachs
The Doctrine of Being in the Aristotelian Metaphysics - Joseph Owens
The Psychology of Aristotle - Franz Brentano
What is the Name of This Book - Raymond Smullyan
The Web of Belief - W.V. Quine
The Great Dialogue of Nature and Space - Yves Simon
Psychology from an Empirical Standpoint - Franz Brentano
A Hundred Years of Philosophy - John Passmore
Pathmarks - Martin Heidegger
-pb
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While you're reading all of that philosophy, I am reading about beautiful and frequently fainting heroines who are trapped in gothic castles by middle-aged villains. Of course, there are parts of The Mysteries of Udolpho which are pretty terrifying (or at least, I was terrified) - unfortunately, I can't say that about The Castle of Otranto. Yet.
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WoW!!!
I'm not reading anything nearly as intellectual as the rest of you!
Right now I have on the burner:
Selections from Grudems Systematic Theology
Baganini's Very Short Intoduction on Atheism
I just finished Roger Zelazny's The Nine Princes in Amber, actually I just read the enire 10 book series over again....it's my favorite series of all time.
Keith Laumer's The Long Twilight.
A book by assorted authors called The Bible
And that's about it for now. I am planning on picking up a book on egalitarianism in the Church for a class I have to take this fall.....but other than that, I try to have a little "down time" reading in the summer months. The school year I am stuck reading something someone else thinks I should be reading.
Of the above list, the only titles I am really actively reading are the Laumer, Baganini, and the Bible...which I should read (in theory) every day, but sometimes it falls through the kracks.
I'm not reading anything nearly as intellectual as the rest of you!
Right now I have on the burner:
Selections from Grudems Systematic Theology
Baganini's Very Short Intoduction on Atheism
I just finished Roger Zelazny's The Nine Princes in Amber, actually I just read the enire 10 book series over again....it's my favorite series of all time.
Keith Laumer's The Long Twilight.
A book by assorted authors called The Bible
And that's about it for now. I am planning on picking up a book on egalitarianism in the Church for a class I have to take this fall.....but other than that, I try to have a little "down time" reading in the summer months. The school year I am stuck reading something someone else thinks I should be reading.
Of the above list, the only titles I am really actively reading are the Laumer, Baganini, and the Bible...which I should read (in theory) every day, but sometimes it falls through the kracks.
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I've just started reading Who Killed Homer? by Victor Davis Hanson and John Heath (after having found it in the clearance rack at the university bookstore). I'd heard it discussed here a few times, so I'm excited to get into it.
The lists:
G'Oogle and the Internet Pharrchive - 1100 or so free Latin and Greek books.
DownLOEBables - Free books from the Loeb Classical Library
G'Oogle and the Internet Pharrchive - 1100 or so free Latin and Greek books.
DownLOEBables - Free books from the Loeb Classical Library
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Hi everybody , I'm new here, but I was really impressed by ur readings . Well, for the tobic of discussion, I've read:
Narina by C.S.Lewis (well, yes, I'm such a kid, but I really can't resist that world which is full of magic)
Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Hamlet by -my ever beloved writer- William Shakespeare
Ovid Metamorphosis
Phantom of the opera by Gaston leroeux or sth like that
and now I'm reading 'English literature' by Anthnoy Burgess
I really hope I can finish it soon .
Narina by C.S.Lewis (well, yes, I'm such a kid, but I really can't resist that world which is full of magic)
Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Hamlet by -my ever beloved writer- William Shakespeare
Ovid Metamorphosis
Phantom of the opera by Gaston leroeux or sth like that
and now I'm reading 'English literature' by Anthnoy Burgess
I really hope I can finish it soon .
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My reading as of two weeks ago (other matters have swamped me since then, but should be lightening up now... finally):
Iliad, book 2, for a reading group
Medea for another reading group (oh, man, I'm behind on this...)
Various works related to the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, mostly journal papers.
After the Ice: A Global Human History 20,000-5000 BC, by Steven Mithen, about the development of human civilization after the end of the last ice age.
Word Order in Ancient Greek: A Pragmatic Account of Word Order Variation in Herodotus, by Helma Dik. Ok, this is a re-read.
Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
Pandora's Star and now Judas Unchained, by Peter F. Hamilton, who writes sci-fi on a hugely grand scale. It is a common trope of SF that people find a way to live a lot longer. These books have what I consider the most likely scenario for this: the rejuv process takes a long time (a bit more than a year) and is hugely expensive, so that most people have to pay into a rejuv escrow their entire life to have enough ready when they hit the rewind point. Good reading on the bus, at any rate.
Every week I get a small magazine, Science News. It summarizes interesting science news in a somewhat (but only somewhat) less technical way for a non-specialist audience.
In a pile waiting for me is Peter Green's Alexander of Macedon. I have the Lucas edition of Aristotle's Poetics, which I hope to read when I've finished with Medea.
Iliad, book 2, for a reading group
Medea for another reading group (oh, man, I'm behind on this...)
Various works related to the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, mostly journal papers.
After the Ice: A Global Human History 20,000-5000 BC, by Steven Mithen, about the development of human civilization after the end of the last ice age.
Word Order in Ancient Greek: A Pragmatic Account of Word Order Variation in Herodotus, by Helma Dik. Ok, this is a re-read.
Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis
Pandora's Star and now Judas Unchained, by Peter F. Hamilton, who writes sci-fi on a hugely grand scale. It is a common trope of SF that people find a way to live a lot longer. These books have what I consider the most likely scenario for this: the rejuv process takes a long time (a bit more than a year) and is hugely expensive, so that most people have to pay into a rejuv escrow their entire life to have enough ready when they hit the rewind point. Good reading on the bus, at any rate.
Every week I get a small magazine, Science News. It summarizes interesting science news in a somewhat (but only somewhat) less technical way for a non-specialist audience.
In a pile waiting for me is Peter Green's Alexander of Macedon. I have the Lucas edition of Aristotle's Poetics, which I hope to read when I've finished with Medea.
William S. Annis — http://www.aoidoi.org/ — http://www.scholiastae.org/
τίς πατέρ' αἰνήσει εἰ μὴ κακοδαίμονες υἱοί;
τίς πατέρ' αἰνήσει εἰ μὴ κακοδαίμονες υἱοί;
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Gosh, most of you are reading such heavy stuff. I'm reading much lighter stuff these days. I'm in a mystery novel phase, and am working through my 4th Elizabeth George novel, Playing for the Ashes. And I'm also flipping through various parenting books. Since my little girl always comes up to "help" me flip pages, I'm usually spending more time trying to refind my place rather than actual reading.
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Nice topic. I don't have much time to read this summer, because I have to go to summer school to take a course in mathematics.
I am planning to read:
The history of philosophy: volume 1 and 2, Hans Joachim Störig, translated from German into Dutch.
Letters to Lucilius, Lucius Annaeus Seneca, translated into Dutch.
Deception Point, Dan Brown.
The Taittiriya Upanishad, translation and commentary by Swami Muni Narayana Prasad.
How to read a book, Charles van Doren & Mortimer J. Adler.
That's about it I think.
I am planning to read:
The history of philosophy: volume 1 and 2, Hans Joachim Störig, translated from German into Dutch.
Letters to Lucilius, Lucius Annaeus Seneca, translated into Dutch.
Deception Point, Dan Brown.
The Taittiriya Upanishad, translation and commentary by Swami Muni Narayana Prasad.
How to read a book, Charles van Doren & Mortimer J. Adler.
That's about it I think.
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So far I've read (not a comprehensive list):
The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown
A Space Child's Mother Goose, by Frederich Winsor
All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy
Tristram Shandy, by Laurence Sterne
Lord Emsworth and Others (short story collection), by P.G. Wodehouse
A Time to Kill, by John Grisham
most of the Vulgate New Testament, translated by Jerome
And I'm currently reading
Liber Primus Annalium Taciti Corneli (1st book of Tacitus' Annals)
Life's Handicap (short story collection), by Rudyard Kipling
Also, I'm trying to work through an independent learner's Korean textbook.
The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown
A Space Child's Mother Goose, by Frederich Winsor
All the Pretty Horses, by Cormac McCarthy
Tristram Shandy, by Laurence Sterne
Lord Emsworth and Others (short story collection), by P.G. Wodehouse
A Time to Kill, by John Grisham
most of the Vulgate New Testament, translated by Jerome
And I'm currently reading
Liber Primus Annalium Taciti Corneli (1st book of Tacitus' Annals)
Life's Handicap (short story collection), by Rudyard Kipling
Also, I'm trying to work through an independent learner's Korean textbook.
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Right now I'm reading:
The Italian Renaissance by Peter Burke
Andria by Terence
Biblical Greek Exegesis
A Graded Reader of Biblical Greek by Mounce
What I'm planning to read this summer:
The Medieval Papacy by Geoffrey Barraclough
A History of Christianity: Readings in the history of the early and medieval church
selections from Ammianus Marcellinus
selections from Octavius by Minucius Felix
selections from hymns by Prudentius
selections from Lucrece's De Rerum Natura
selections from Petrone's Satyricon
A Critical Introduction to the New Testament (Holladay)
The Italian Renaissance by Peter Burke
Andria by Terence
Biblical Greek Exegesis
A Graded Reader of Biblical Greek by Mounce
What I'm planning to read this summer:
The Medieval Papacy by Geoffrey Barraclough
A History of Christianity: Readings in the history of the early and medieval church
selections from Ammianus Marcellinus
selections from Octavius by Minucius Felix
selections from hymns by Prudentius
selections from Lucrece's De Rerum Natura
selections from Petrone's Satyricon
A Critical Introduction to the New Testament (Holladay)
Last edited by Iulianus on Sat Aug 19, 2006 1:12 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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I'm currently reading:
How to Kill a Dragon, by Calvert Watkins
Life and Society in the Hittite World, by Trevor Bryce
Herodotus Book 1
I've recently finished:
The East Face of Helicon, by Martin West
The Kingdom of the Hittites, by Trevor Bryce
Alexander of Macedon, by Peter Green
I've been reading some articles on the Greek language, and also about Bronze Age history. And I'm planning to try some Grk tragedy soon, probably Prometheus Bound.
~N
How to Kill a Dragon, by Calvert Watkins
Life and Society in the Hittite World, by Trevor Bryce
Herodotus Book 1
I've recently finished:
The East Face of Helicon, by Martin West
The Kingdom of the Hittites, by Trevor Bryce
Alexander of Macedon, by Peter Green
I've been reading some articles on the Greek language, and also about Bronze Age history. And I'm planning to try some Grk tragedy soon, probably Prometheus Bound.
~N
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Frank Herberts Dune series; especially the first three are must-reads in the sci-fi genre.Kopio wrote:Ok....so I have a question for you guys. If you could recommend one of your all time favorite Sci-Fi books....what would it be??
I've read most of the biggies, i.e. Asimov, Silverberg, Niven...who would you recommend??
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Re: Summer Reading
I am ashamed to say that I actually attempted to read this piece of impacted fecal matter. After a dozen or so pages, the "whiff" was just unbearable. Seriously, it should have been titled Thomas Friedman's Brain Waves Are Flat.ndansmith wrote:I have read these:
...
The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman
...
Having regained consciousness, I am currently reading the autobiography of one of the greatest mathematicians, Stanislaw M. Ulam's The Adventures of a Mathematician. So far, it's a beautiful, exciting read. Btw, for those who don't know, it was Ulam's important contributions that helped build the hydrogen bomb.
Fanatical ranting is not just fine because it's eloquent. What if I ranted for the extermination of a people in an eloquent manner, would that make it fine? Rather, ranting, be it fanatical or otherwise, is fine if what is said is true and just. ---PeterD, in reply to IreneY and Annis
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My favorite sci-fi writers are Ursula K. LeGuin and Lois McMaster Bujold (I just noticed that they are both female - wonder if that's a coincidence). If you have never read LeGuin (and I almost think you must have, her being on of the giants), I would recommend starting with either Lathe of Heaven or Left Hand of Darkness. Bujold - hmmm, I would recommend starting with The Warrior's Apprentice, even though it's not among her best. However, it's the book which makes me laugh the most, and I think it would appeal to your sense of humour too.Kopio wrote:I've read most of the biggies, i.e. Asimov, Silverberg, Niven...who would you recommend??
EDIT : Brief spoiler-free book descriptions -
Lathe of Heaven : George Orr has trouble with dreams, so he sees Dr. Haber. The problem is that his dreams come true. Dr Haber sees great potential in this ...
Left Hand of Darkness : A representative from an interplanetary institution is sent to a planet where people switch between male and female every month ... most subtle analysis of gender/sex I've ever seen in fiction. And yes, it has a moving plot, after all the first time I read it I gulped it down in two days.
The Warrior's Apprentice : Actually, the publisher has put the first few chapters of the book online at http://www.baen.com/chapters/W200307/07 ... .htm?blurb - and I seriously recommend reading all of the chapters availible online before giving up, it's takes a little time for Bujold to grow on you.
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I second Herbert, especially Dune itself, and LeGuin; both are great, although I'd rank LeGuin's The Dispossessed slightly above The Left Hand of Darkness (I haven't read Lathe of Heaven). I'd also add Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and Burgess's Clockwork Orange, even if that's usually not listed as science fiction. But right now my favourite has got to be Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama, which I think is brilliant.
As for my reading list, I usually don't plan ahead since I'll often just pick up something at the library to read but I'm currently reading (but not on a completely consistent basis):
Selections from Homer's Iliad (in Greek, albeit very slowly)
Tuf Voyaging, by G.R.R. Martin
The Greek Dialects, by C. D. Buck
Introduction to Syriac, by W. M. Thackston
Accent and Rhythm, by W. S. Allen
Introduction to Spectral Theory, by P. D. Hislop and I. M. Sigal
Schrödinger Operators, by a bunch of authors.
Histoire de l'Égypte ancienne, by Nicolas Grimal
Come to think of it though, I do have one book I'm looking forward to getting which is G.R.R. Martin's A Feast for Crows, which is out but I'm waiting for it to be released as a paperback. That's another series I'd heartily recommend to anyone that's not queasy about fantasy.
Thymios
As for my reading list, I usually don't plan ahead since I'll often just pick up something at the library to read but I'm currently reading (but not on a completely consistent basis):
Selections from Homer's Iliad (in Greek, albeit very slowly)
Tuf Voyaging, by G.R.R. Martin
The Greek Dialects, by C. D. Buck
Introduction to Syriac, by W. M. Thackston
Accent and Rhythm, by W. S. Allen
Introduction to Spectral Theory, by P. D. Hislop and I. M. Sigal
Schrödinger Operators, by a bunch of authors.
Histoire de l'Égypte ancienne, by Nicolas Grimal
Come to think of it though, I do have one book I'm looking forward to getting which is G.R.R. Martin's A Feast for Crows, which is out but I'm waiting for it to be released as a paperback. That's another series I'd heartily recommend to anyone that's not queasy about fantasy.
Thymios
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I'll add my own acclamation to Ursula Le Guin. I haven't read many of her novels yet, but The Left Hand of Darkness is definitely a winner.
My own recommendation is Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. Despite the unlikely children's psychology, I found the book gripping and very, very imaginative. It has all the usual ingredients of science fiction: blowing up aliens, big weapons, and computers, but the emphasis on psychology and an intriguing cultural sensitivity made the book memorable for me.
David
My own recommendation is Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. Despite the unlikely children's psychology, I found the book gripping and very, very imaginative. It has all the usual ingredients of science fiction: blowing up aliens, big weapons, and computers, but the emphasis on psychology and an intriguing cultural sensitivity made the book memorable for me.
David
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Lego:
Xenocide by Orson Scott Card
various Roman plays (Menaechmi)
Letters of M. Tullius Cicero and Pliny
Sex and Domination Role-Playing by Jerry Falwell
Gimme My Goddamned Oil Payoff! by George W. Bush
But of all, my favorite has to be The DaStupid Code - it's chockety full of real history. No wonder public schools are failing after reading this crap. (It'll set your brain back at least ten years.) And no, I have not read it, but I have read tons of sites condemning it and many excerpts.
Xenocide by Orson Scott Card
various Roman plays (Menaechmi)
Letters of M. Tullius Cicero and Pliny
Sex and Domination Role-Playing by Jerry Falwell
Gimme My Goddamned Oil Payoff! by George W. Bush
But of all, my favorite has to be The DaStupid Code - it's chockety full of real history. No wonder public schools are failing after reading this crap. (It'll set your brain back at least ten years.) And no, I have not read it, but I have read tons of sites condemning it and many excerpts.
ego amo megaforce
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I second the recommendation for Ender's Game.
Personally, I don't think Lathe of Heaven is as good as The Left Hand of Darkness or The Disposesed, but it's still a damn good book and a good place to start on LeGuin. Actually, Planet of Exile would be another good place to start on LeGuin since it's such an easy read, but it's too rare to bother hunting down unless you already know that you like LeGuin. Or you can go straight to any LeGuin novel you please.
Personally, I don't think Lathe of Heaven is as good as The Left Hand of Darkness or The Disposesed, but it's still a damn good book and a good place to start on LeGuin. Actually, Planet of Exile would be another good place to start on LeGuin since it's such an easy read, but it's too rare to bother hunting down unless you already know that you like LeGuin. Or you can go straight to any LeGuin novel you please.
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You would publically condemn a book you haven't read yourself?elduce wrote:And no, I have not read it, but I have read tons of sites condemning it and many excerpts.
The lists:
G'Oogle and the Internet Pharrchive - 1100 or so free Latin and Greek books.
DownLOEBables - Free books from the Loeb Classical Library
G'Oogle and the Internet Pharrchive - 1100 or so free Latin and Greek books.
DownLOEBables - Free books from the Loeb Classical Library
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Probably because he doesn't want Jesus to have a girlfriend.edonnelly wrote:You would publically condemn a book you haven't read yourself?elduce wrote:And no, I have not read it, but I have read tons of sites condemning it and many excerpts.
I have only read Angels and Demons so far. It's a nice story.LatinBookjunky wrote:Lot of variety in reading preferences here. Deception point was allright but I liked Digital Fortress better.
I have to wonder how many who have read Davinci code went on to read the other books.
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I read DVC first, then went on to Deception Point which I hated hated hated. Then I started Angels & Demons, but put it down midway and never picked it back up again. I should finish that one as what I had read so far wasn't too bad. I also have Digital Fortress somewhere... good to hear it's better than DP. I'm pretty sure that if my first Dan Brown book was DP, I never would have gone on to read any of his others.LatinBookjunky wrote:Lot of variety in reading preferences here. Deception point was allright but I liked Digital Fortress better.
I have to wonder how many who have read Davinci code went on to read the other books.
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Some people have mentioned Ender's Game, that was a fun read. I never went on to read any of the sequels though.Kopio wrote:Ok....so I have a question for you guys. If you could recommend one of your all time favorite Sci-Fi books....what would it be??
One of my faves is Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. The title is Le Samouraï Virtuel, if you want to read it in French.
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Read it....outstanding book. I actually read the first three, and after that I quit reading them.Iulianus wrote:Frank Herberts Dune series; especially the first three are must-reads in the sci-fi genre.
Believe it or not, I have never read either of these authors (I actually have never heard of either). To tell the truth, I haven't read a lot of women authors. I will have to check them out...thanks for the recommend!GlottalGreekGeek wrote:My favorite sci-fi writers are Ursula K. LeGuin and Lois McMaster Bujold (I just noticed that they are both female - wonder if that's a coincidence). If you have never read LeGuin (and I almost think you must have, her being on of the giants), I would recommend starting with either Lathe of Heaven or Left Hand of Darkness. Bujold - hmmm, I would recommend starting with The Warrior's Apprentice, even though it's not among her best. However, it's the book which makes me laugh the most, and I think it would appeal to your sense of humour too.
Read the whole Rama series and I loved it! That was an epic series, and I like an author that can keep you interested in a world. You know.....I have never read Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451!! I have read other stuff by him, but never his most acclaimed piece...well I guess that's another one I'll have to check out.modus.irrealis wrote:I second Herbert, especially Dune itself, and LeGuin; both are great, although I'd rank LeGuin's The Dispossessed slightly above The Left Hand of Darkness (I haven't read Lathe of Heaven). I'd also add Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 and Burgess's Clockwork Orange, even if that's usually not listed as science fiction. But right now my favourite has got to be Clarke's Rendezvous with Rama, which I think is brilliant.
Ok....that seals it......Le Guin it is!! I have read Ender's Game...fairly recently even. I have also read Card's whole Seventh Son series (actually I haven't read the final book yet because a friend of mine said it sucked) and I enjoyed it. I read one or two of his other Ender books, but I wasn't nearly as impressed. They've been talking about making Ender's Game into a movie for quite a while....that will be one on the top of my summer to see list!bellum paxque wrote:I'll add my own acclamation to Ursula Le Guin. I haven't read many of her novels yet, but The Left Hand of Darkness is definitely a winner.
My own recommendation is Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card.
David
Sorry....don't know French...but I will check it out in English.mariek wrote:One of my faves is Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. The title is Le Samouraï Virtuel, if you want to read it in French.
Thanks a lot for all of the suggestions textkittens! I now have a good list of new books to check out!
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Absolutely LeGuin. If you can find them, some of Herbert's shorter novels are quite good. I also second Bujold for entertaining writing. The Miles Vorkosigan books are popular, though I have to say I find the characters of his parents more interesting than him.
C.J. Cherryh - former Latin teacher, trained in history — writes some of the best political SF. I suspect she is fond of Tacitus. In any case, Downbelow Station should be on anyone's required reading list, and probably Cyteen. The Chanur books are popular, but I quite like the recent Atevi books (the "foreigner universe"), but that may just be because the main character is a linguist. If you can find it, Cuckoo's Egg is a strange little book one should read and then wonder how on earth it got published.
I would consider the short stories of James Tiptree, Jr. (really Anne Sheldon) required reading.
Other good authors that come to mind randomly: Vernor Vinge (A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky in that order); Julie E. Czerneda (darker writing); China Mieville (very dark, mind-bendingly strange, Trotskyite). If you like fantasy at all, I love Patricia McKillip, who writes tiny little books that are at least as disorienting as actually being kidnapped by the faeries.
C.J. Cherryh - former Latin teacher, trained in history — writes some of the best political SF. I suspect she is fond of Tacitus. In any case, Downbelow Station should be on anyone's required reading list, and probably Cyteen. The Chanur books are popular, but I quite like the recent Atevi books (the "foreigner universe"), but that may just be because the main character is a linguist. If you can find it, Cuckoo's Egg is a strange little book one should read and then wonder how on earth it got published.
I would consider the short stories of James Tiptree, Jr. (really Anne Sheldon) required reading.
Other good authors that come to mind randomly: Vernor Vinge (A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky in that order); Julie E. Czerneda (darker writing); China Mieville (very dark, mind-bendingly strange, Trotskyite). If you like fantasy at all, I love Patricia McKillip, who writes tiny little books that are at least as disorienting as actually being kidnapped by the faeries.
William S. Annis — http://www.aoidoi.org/ — http://www.scholiastae.org/
τίς πατέρ' αἰνήσει εἰ μὴ κακοδαίμονες υἱοί;
τίς πατέρ' αἰνήσει εἰ μὴ κακοδαίμονες υἱοί;
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I've got a bunch of books going right now, which is not like me (I usually like to finish one or two at a time...). They are not academic:
The Queen's Slave Trader, by Nick Hazlewood (excellent book, btw)
Oliver Twist, Dickens
The Roman Republic, Michael Crawford
Fast Track, Suzy Favor Hamilton
and on the pile:
Chomsky's Turning the Tide (an old one)
The Queen's Slave Trader, by Nick Hazlewood (excellent book, btw)
Oliver Twist, Dickens
The Roman Republic, Michael Crawford
Fast Track, Suzy Favor Hamilton
and on the pile:
Chomsky's Turning the Tide (an old one)
First say to yourself what you would be; then do what you need to do. ~Epictetus
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It's not for everyone, however if you enjoy Snow Crash, you should check out his other novel, The Diamond Age. The Diamond Age is in some ways a better book, but you will get lots of laughs reading Snow Crash, it's just a really fast & fun read.Kopio wrote:Sorry....don't know French...but I will check it out in English.mariek wrote:One of my faves is Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. The title is Le Samouraï Virtuel, if you want to read it in French.
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Not sci-fi but I'm currently reading
'The Oracle; the lost secrets and hidden message of ancient Delphi' by William J. Broad.
Just finished Carcopino's 'Daily life in ancient Rome' (just a tad disappointing, perhaps because it is a book from quite a while ago and I just can't relate to it that much anymore: there are a lot of moral judgements in there)
'The Oracle; the lost secrets and hidden message of ancient Delphi' by William J. Broad.
Just finished Carcopino's 'Daily life in ancient Rome' (just a tad disappointing, perhaps because it is a book from quite a while ago and I just can't relate to it that much anymore: there are a lot of moral judgements in there)
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Well guys.....I went out today and traded in a bunch of paperbacks that weren't really worth gracing my bookshelves for the long run and I got a few new ones. Here is what I got:
The Dispossessed by Ursala Le Guin
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursala Le Guin
Always Coming Home by Ursala Le Guin
Downbelow Station by C.H. Cherryh
Mindspan by Gordon R. Dickson
They didn't have Left Hand or Lathe, which were the Le Guin's that I really wanted to get....but I though these looked interesting, and if she truly is a great author (as so many of you have recommended) they should be good reads. The gal at the bookstore said LeGuin doesn't hang around long...she's in high demand. The Dickson was on a whim...there were a lot of them and some of them looked interesting, so I thought I'd try him....any of you read him??
Anyhow....I think I am going to start with The Dispossessed (tips hat to modus) and then go on to Downbelow (tips hat to William) after that I'm gonna just wing it.
BTW.....I read DaVinci....although it wasn't gripping enough for me to reads another of his books....it wasn't bad, and I really enjoyed parts of it, but the novelty of it didn't really strike me as that novel
The Dispossessed by Ursala Le Guin
A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursala Le Guin
Always Coming Home by Ursala Le Guin
Downbelow Station by C.H. Cherryh
Mindspan by Gordon R. Dickson
They didn't have Left Hand or Lathe, which were the Le Guin's that I really wanted to get....but I though these looked interesting, and if she truly is a great author (as so many of you have recommended) they should be good reads. The gal at the bookstore said LeGuin doesn't hang around long...she's in high demand. The Dickson was on a whim...there were a lot of them and some of them looked interesting, so I thought I'd try him....any of you read him??
Anyhow....I think I am going to start with The Dispossessed (tips hat to modus) and then go on to Downbelow (tips hat to William) after that I'm gonna just wing it.
BTW.....I read DaVinci....although it wasn't gripping enough for me to reads another of his books....it wasn't bad, and I really enjoyed parts of it, but the novelty of it didn't really strike me as that novel
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Moby **** is a suprisingly funny novel. It really has a quirky sense of humor the pervades the first 200 pages (at least). Captain Ahab is a truly enigmatic character. One the one hand, he lets his lust for revenge endanger the Pequod and her crew. On the other hand he refrains from pacing the deck at night for fear the sound of his ivory leg might disturb the sailors. A very interesting fellow.
As for the Davinci Code, I found it very entertaining. Some of the assertions made by characters in the book are laughable, but that is what suspension-of-disbelief is for. Interestingly, per my memory, the author never actually says if the Grail legend is true or not. However, the movie seems to leave no doubt with its final scene.
As for the Davinci Code, I found it very entertaining. Some of the assertions made by characters in the book are laughable, but that is what suspension-of-disbelief is for. Interestingly, per my memory, the author never actually says if the Grail legend is true or not. However, the movie seems to leave no doubt with its final scene.
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I realize that I have read a lot of female sci-fi writers. Let's see - C.L. Moore, Leigh Brackett, Andre Norton, Anne McCaffery, Ursula K. LeGuin (duh), Kate Wilhelm, Joanna Russ, Marion Zimmer Bradley, James Tiptree Jr (I second Annis' recommendation), Vonda McIntyre, Octavia Butler, Sherri S. Tepper, Megan Lindholm (not sure I would call her a Science Fiction writer, though she wrote one of the best short stories I've ever read in a sci-fi magazine) Lois McMaster Bujold (duh), part of a Connie Willis book, and I'm sure somebody is slipping my mind. Notice one of the major omissions is C. J. Cherryh, of whom I've only read stuff which she co-authored with other people, and I'm not sure that counts. Mind you, just because I've *read* them does not mean I *recommend*, though this group of writers as a whole has afforded me many hours of reading pleasureKopio wrote: Believe it or not, I have never read either of these authors (I actually have never heard of either). To tell the truth, I haven't read a lot of women authors.
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