What have you been reading lately?
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La Canaliste
Member # 5563
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written Wednesday, June 20 2007 01:14
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Colloquial Serbo-Croat, by Celia Hawkesworth. I suspect it is out of print: my copy is borrowed from the local library. -------------------- But it's the unsquandered youth that is truly wasted. Deep down, you know you should have voted for Alcritas! Posts: 387 | Registered: Tuesday, March 1 2005 08:00 |
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Nuke and Pave
Member # 24
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written Wednesday, June 20 2007 09:00
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quote:I was talking about SAT tests for college admission. They are somewhat similar to IQ tests, but are supposed to also test students' knowledge of material. Whether they actually measure anything useful is a topic of controversy best left for another thread. </offtopic> [ Wednesday, June 20, 2007 09:01: Message edited by: Zeviz ] -------------------- Be careful with a word, as you would with a sword, For it too has the power to kill. However well placed word, unlike a well placed sword, Can also have the power to heal. Posts: 2649 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Off With Their Heads
Member # 4045
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written Wednesday, June 20 2007 11:10
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No, they're not. They're supposed to predict freshman grades in college. Testing knowledge of subject material is more of an AP or Subject Test sort of thing. -------------------- Arancaytar: Every time you ask people to compare TM and Kel, you endanger the poor, fluffy kittens. Smoo: Get ready to face the walls! Ephesos: In conclusion, yarr. Kelandon's Pink and Pretty Page!!: the authorized location for all things by me The Archive of all released BoE scenarios ever Posts: 7968 | Registered: Saturday, February 28 2004 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2210
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written Saturday, June 23 2007 11:24
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I just finished reading Michael Chabon's, The Yiddish Policemen's Union which was kind of interesting, it is an alternate history story where Israel didn't succeed and there is an alternate homeland for the Jews in Alaska. It is a mystery. It was kind of interesting. I have just reading Sherri S. Tepper's The Margarets, another new book, about a woman who splits into six different versions of herself, each following a separate archetype, thief, slave, leader, soldier, healer, etc. The settings are very cool earth has become excessively crowded and used up all its resources, the only way to keep things going is to sell people into terms of alien bondage. There are some interesting ideas throughout, the evil alien ghyrm, the dancing cats, and a few other things make it very entertaining. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Add your one star vote to my tally. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2210
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written Saturday, July 14 2007 15:52
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Now for another hateful political message involving reading material that will drive you crazy. I just finished reading a truly giant book, Radicals for Capitalism, A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement by Brian Doherty. It is a very interesting book covering a huge amount of ground, everything from solid right wing stuff like Ron Paul to crazy libertarian technobabblish stuff like some of my favorites, Robert Anton Wilson, The Erisians, and Rossetto the founder of Wired Magazine. It confirms my blatant hatred of Ayn Rand and my desire to read Milton Friedman and say that Alan Greenspan did a good job. Any ways it is well worth reading if you want to learn the history of this particular mode of thought. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Add your one star vote to my tally. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2759
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written Saturday, July 14 2007 23:06
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Has anyone read anything by Charles Stross? I've had quite a SF fest recently. Yesterday I realised I had finished all my SF books, so I went and bought some more. Luckily I found a half-price sale at Borders :D Ones I recently read were:
-------------------- Geneforge 4 stuff. Also, everything I know about Avernum | Avernum 2 | Avernum 3 | Avernum 4 Posts: 1104 | Registered: Monday, March 10 2003 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2210
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written Sunday, July 15 2007 06:07
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You can get Accelerando for free as an ebook if you like at: http://www.accelerando.org/ by Charles Stross There is also a bit of free fiction on his personal web site. http://www.antipope.org/charlie/fiction/index.html He is a close collaborator with Cory Doctorow another one of my favorite current writers. I would recommend the Atrocity Archives -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Add your one star vote to my tally. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2759
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written Sunday, July 15 2007 09:19
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Just been reading about the Atrocity Archives on Amazon; sounds like something I want to read. Thanks. [ Sunday, July 15, 2007 09:25: Message edited by: Micawber ] -------------------- Geneforge 4 stuff. Also, everything I know about Avernum | Avernum 2 | Avernum 3 | Avernum 4 Posts: 1104 | Registered: Monday, March 10 2003 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 7638
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written Monday, July 16 2007 15:21
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I just finished Xenocide by Orson Scott Card. It was really good but raised some funky moral questions. -------------------- "640K ought to be enough for anybody." -- Bill Gates, 1981 Posts: 152 | Registered: Monday, November 6 2006 08:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 3442
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written Saturday, July 21 2007 06:30
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I just finished the last Harry Potter book. It turns out that it was all a trip that some tramp from London had. -------------------- Nikki's Nook - La maison de mon rêve? Posts: 2864 | Registered: Monday, September 8 2003 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2210
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written Saturday, July 21 2007 07:04
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I just read A Spy's Journey, A CIA Memoir by Floyd L. Paseman. It was kind of interesting, it gave a basic outline of what it was like to rise through the ranks of the CIA. The book was very general with not a huge amount of specifics, but there were some interesting tidbits here and there. It covered a lot of Asia, China and North Korea more specifically with a bit of commentary on the different directors. It was kind of interesting. A lot of it was cold war brinksmanship. Tennis matches, restaurants, places with private baths-- hot tubs, etc. seemed to be places of espioage, even a couple visits to nude beaches to meet his contacts. The old meet me in the swimming pool in speedos trick. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Add your one star vote to my tally. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2210
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written Thursday, July 26 2007 01:50
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I finished reading Slan Hunter by A.E. Van Vogt and Kevin J. Anderson. It is an attempt to complete a novel which A.E. Van Vogt partially finished. Unfortunately Kevin J. Anderson is nowhere near the level of writer that A.E. Van Vogt was. The book is still an entertaining light read, but cannot create the clarity or directness in writing style which A.E. Van Vogt had. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Add your one star vote to my tally. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 7252
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written Thursday, July 26 2007 02:20
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You know..Poe's work ain't so bad.. "The Cask of Amontillado" and "The Pit and the Pendulum" are some of his works that I was really intrigued.. And..I like the Artemis Fowl series..though they are a bit childish.. -------------------- But after revenge is taken, nothing remains but a painful scar... You ain't evil until you hear this! Looking for group to slaughter the world.. Posts: 732 | Registered: Saturday, June 24 2006 07:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 9403
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written Thursday, July 26 2007 12:12
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Right now Uncle Silas by J.S. LeFanu....I've started reading the classics and I can't get back into anything written today except for Dean Koontz. I just don't see the depth or character development in most of today's books. Posts: 13 | Registered: Saturday, July 21 2007 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Thursday, July 26 2007 12:25
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I now own the seventh HP book. But what I'm currently reading is Illuminatus! It's very entertaining, but also tiring to read because it requires so much concentration and attention span while the plot jumps around like crazy. I thought Cryptonomicon was tough. [ Thursday, July 26, 2007 12:29: Message edited by: jg.faust ] -------------------- The Noble and Ancient Order of Polaris - We're Not Yet Dead. Encyclopedia • Blades Forge • Archives • Stats • RSS (This Topic / Forum) • Blog • NaNoWriMo Did-chat thentagoespyet jumund fori is jus, hat onlime gly nertan ne gethen Firyoubbit 'obio.' Decorum deserves a whole line of my signature, and an entry in your bookmarks. Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2210
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written Thursday, July 26 2007 16:51
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Illuminatus is a truly great book, Robert Anton Wilson is a truly interesting person in every way. The trilogy is wonderful gobbledygook, a mix of futurism, science fiction, and crazed conspiracy theory. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Add your one star vote to my tally. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2210
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written Saturday, August 11 2007 04:09
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I just finished reading another bestseller, The Black Swan, the Impact of the Highly Improbable, by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. This book divides the world into two camps Mediocristan where most things are very predictable, and Extremistan where very highly improbable events occur like winning lottery tickets, writing a bestseller, or having your house hit by a hurricane in Brooklyn, New York last weekend. It is light nonfiction reading. It was a solid book, nothing exceptional. I also read a posthumous book of poetry by Charles Bukowski, The People Look Like Flowers At Last, New Poems. I really enjoyed this poems about drinking, smoking, race tracks, sex, and remorse about sex. Not for the prudish. [ Saturday, August 11, 2007 04:13: Message edited by: I'll Steal Your Toast ] -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Add your one star vote to my tally. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 6670
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written Saturday, August 11 2007 16:05
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The library had a book sale, so I picked up The Restaurant at the End of the Universe for fifty cents. Forgot how short those books are; a couple hours later, and I'm done. -------------------- No matter what happens, the U.S. Navy is not going to be caught napping. - Frank Knox, Dec. 4, 1941 [ Saturday, August 11, 2007 16:07: Message edited by: Dintiradan ] Posts: 1509 | Registered: Tuesday, January 10 2006 08:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 8684
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written Saturday, August 11 2007 19:55
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The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy was an awesome book/series. I'm currently rereading (for the 8th or 9th time...) WoT (Wheel of Time) by Robert Jordan. I'm on the 3rd book right now. I currently have no access to a library, nor a book store that I can walk to (no car or other vehicle). Posts: 13 | Registered: Thursday, May 10 2007 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2210
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written Thursday, August 16 2007 11:53
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Ah, not enough reading lately. A tiny bit of advice, reading Al Gore is somnabulistic a guaranteed sleep aid, an even stronger sleep aid than watching him give a speech. I may agree with him somewhat, but I certainly can't read his material. On that thought, I finished reading Going Postal by Terry Pratchett, a wonderful and funny read on a con man being forced to revive a dead postal service, who must compete with a fantasy semaphore service. It was quite entertaining. I am looking forward to the sequel Making Money, about a con artist reviving a mint. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Add your one star vote to my tally. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 4826
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written Friday, August 17 2007 16:06
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Off-topic, but does anyone else get sent to page eleven of this thread when they click on page one? EDIT: Wait, now it doesn't do that. :confused: [ Friday, August 17, 2007 16:07: Message edited by: Screen Name of...Wool Sweaters ] -------------------- "Of course, not all technology is good. Some is exactly the opposite (bad)." — Dave Barry Posts: 458 | Registered: Friday, August 6 2004 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2210
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written Sunday, September 2 2007 11:33
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Back to my reading habits. Having been playing Nethergate twice, I've gotten slowed down a bit. Plus vacation time oddly gives me less time to read because of my commute. Anyways, I actually went to a bookstore and bought two paperbacks which I can't get at the library for some reason. The First is Man Kzin Wars XI, edited by Hal Colebatch. This one seems to be very focused on the protectors and less on the kzin. I also bought, Midnight Tides by Steve Erickson, part of the Malanzan books of the fallen. So far, I have really enjoyed the series. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Add your one star vote to my tally. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Sunday, September 2 2007 14:29
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quote:Didn't that particular con artist, er, "jump ship" in the ed, as it were? Or do you think Vetinari will find another one for the mint eventually? -------------------- The Noble and Ancient Order of Polaris - We're Not Yet Dead. Encyclopedia • Blades Forge • Archives • Stats • RSS (This Topic / Forum) • Blog • NaNoWriMo Did-chat thentagoespyet jumund fori is jus, hat onlime gly nertan ne gethen Firyoubbit 'obio.' Decorum deserves a whole line of my signature, and an entry in your bookmarks. Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 10234
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written Monday, September 3 2007 13:15
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I just ordered from Amazon: "Depths of Madness: The Dungeons" Erik Scott de Bie; Mass Market Paperback; $6.99 "Girl Genius: Omnibus Edition #1" Phil Foglio; Paperback; $10.17 "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider: The Lost Cult" E. E. Knight; Mass Market Paperback; $6.99 "The Engines of God" Jack McDevitt; Paperback; $7.99 The last is sci-fi (not religious), the rest is just for fun. I have a thing for H.P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu-esque works and related mythos writings, and the Tomb Raider book is supposed to play on that theme. Phil Foglio does the artwork for some of the games here, so I decided to check out the Girl Genius stuff. [ Monday, September 03, 2007 13:17: Message edited by: Ming ] Posts: 102 | Registered: Monday, September 3 2007 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 6670
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written Tuesday, September 4 2007 20:03
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Picked up The Cathedral & The Bazaar by Eric Raymond from the library today. It's one of those books that you always see referenced, but never get around to reading. Actually, my intent was to pick up The Catcher in the Rye, another of those "I'll get around to reading it eventually" books. Of the three copies, one was lost and the other two were checked out. Youpi for holds! -------------------- According to a new study reported in USA Today, three out of four people make up 75% of the population. - David Letterman Posts: 1509 | Registered: Tuesday, January 10 2006 08:00 |