Hey!! Let's get some action going! What are we reading?

[Grapepicture]

I missed out on getting Map of Bones - James Rollins in June. Just found this site. Can anyone tell me where I can get this audio book at a reasonable price?

[WT Sharpe]

I just finished reading Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, this month's MobileRead Book Club selection. In the beginning, I became confused by the style of writing and purchased an audiobook of the work, but by the time I was 1/3rd through the ebook I began to get a handle on it. Nevertheless, I still have the audiobook, so I'll listen to that next. Already, in the first chapter, I noticed something I missed in the ebook version that may or may not be significant.

[RDaneel54]

The Gathering Storm and Their Finest Hour. I'm in the second one currently.

These are the first two books of Sir Winston Churchill's six part history of the Second World War. Very well written with many personal details and insights by the Allies' principal leader.

I can't recommend them highly enough. I had put off starting this reading project for over a year. Glad I dove in.

Dean

Just finished The Great War and Modern Memory by Paul Fussell. This was an excellent book that took a novel approach to informing the reader about “The Great War,” that is World War I. Not a dry recounting of dates, battles, and facts, but told through the literature of the time; how existing literature influenced views toward the war, what literature produced by those who fought in the war tells us about their experience, and how WWI impacted literature and broader culture ever after.

My only complaint, if that is even the proper word to use, it is almost entirely limited to English literature and experiences of English soldiers. It would have been great to have included a similar study for at the least French and German soldiers. Of course that would have greatly expanded what was already and ambitious project. That and the author makes a pretty good case that the English soldiers, from top ranks to the lowest ordinary foot soldier, were unique in being almost entirely not only literate, but even literary relative to armies in all major wars up until then. Does make me want to reread a book I've only read once before back in high school; All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque. Unfortunately this does not appear to be available as an ebook. Shoot I thought this would even be in the public domain by now.

This book also has significantly added to my to be read list. In addition to the already mentioned All Quiet on the Western Front I am now eager to read sometime soon Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves, The Wanting Seed by Anthony Burgess, The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer, and Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon. Damn, my priority TBR books are multiplying like rabbits. 1,1,2,3,5,8, . . .

Finally I have to include a poem included in this book (not really a spoiler, just keeping this from occupying to much screen:

Spoiler:

Ballad Of The Three Spectres by Ivor Gurney

As I went up by Ovillers
In mud and water cold to the knee,
There went three jeering, fleeing spectres,
That walked abreast and talked of me.

The first said, 'Here's a right brave soldier
That walks the dark unfearingly;
Soon he'll come back on a fine stretcher,
And laughing for a nice Blighty.'*

The second, "Read his face, old comrade,
No kind of lucky chance I see;
One day he'll freeze in mud to the marrow,
Then look his last on Picardie.'**

Though bitter the word of these first twain
Curses the third spat venomously;
'He'll stay untouched till the war's last dawning
Then live one hour of agony.'

Liars the first two were. Behold me
At sloping arms by one — two — three;
Waiting the time I shall discover
Whether the third spake verity.

* Blighty: A non-serious wound that would get the soldier returned to the UK.


** Picardie: An area in Northern France

So next up is Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Fbone

Now onto the 2nd in the Escape from Furnace series Solitary by Alexander Gordon Smith.

Very nice continuation of the series. Again the book concludes with a cliffhanger. Book three was just published so I will chase it down.

My ILLs came in so next up is Poul Anderson's Ensign Flandry. This will be my first Anderson book. Time to give him a try. I thought, however, this was the first in the series but I seem to be wrong.

[bjones6416]

I finished "The Children's Book," by A.S. Byatt, today. Oh my. I can't begin to describe it as eloquently as beppe did here, but I have to say this book is amazing. I know that it would take a re-read to pick up even half of the nuances I missed the first time around, because it wasn't an easy read for me. I loved it, though. And the last paragraph of the book is one of the most beautifully written wrap-ups I've ever read.

[maianhvk]

Terry Pratchett's Discworld 1: The Color of Magic

[Ditchleyportrait]

http://www.amazon.com/Body-Soul-Maki...g=533643282-20
incredible!

[KathyCarmichael]

I've just begun reading a fascinating (and chilling!) non-fiction title, Search & Destroy: Why You Can't Trust Google Inc. Since I use Google for searching and for my email, I'm questioning that now! The e-book is on the expensive side, but I think given my situation, it'll be worth the investment.

[xg4bx]

Originally Posted by maianhvk

That's good enough for me!

Wait, it's the first book in a trilogy! Still hasn't finished! Having had several lessons... I think I'll read it only when it's fully published.

What is hardcore fantasy by the way?

by hardcore i mean fans who read every fantasy novel that comes out or who have read boat loads lol. i probably worded it wrong, i meant it as a description of the readers.

[maianhvk]

Originally Posted by maianhvk

Terry Pratchett's Discworld 1: The Color of Magic

The book was pretty boring at the beginning but by 50% things get better.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by maianhvk

The book was pretty boring at the beginning but by 50% things get better.

The Colour of Magic is best appreciated by someone who's read lots of fantasy. It has parodies of many, many fantasy characters in it.

I think that some of the later DiskWorld books are far superior.

[HomeInMyShoes]

I liked the Color of Magic a lot, but I've read enough fantasy over the years for the satire to have me in stitches. Terry just makes me laugh. I'm glad I've only read about 20% of the titles in Discworld so I've always got a fallback option when I need something a little less serious.

I just finished Kokoro. Loved it.

[pdurrant]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

Next: Rihannsu: The Bloodwing Voyages by Diane Duane and Peter Morwood

This has been on my TBR pile since 2008. I really like Diane Duane's other books, so it will be interesting to see what she does with Star Trek TOS.

An excellent tale in the Star Trek universe, highly recommended,but needs completing, which should happen in:

Rihannsu: The Empty Chair by Diane Duane

which is what I'll read next.

[maianhvk]

Originally Posted by pdurrant

The Colour of Magic is best appreciated by someone who's read lots of fantasy. It has parodies of many, many fantasy characters in it.

I think that some of the later DiskWorld books are far superior.

Oh! I think I should delay Discworld since I haven't read Tolkien, Jordan, Erikson