Book Thread number ?

[The Rube]

Re: Book Thread number ?

About halfway through Kerry Fraser's "The Final Call." Awesome read. Part autobio, part anecdote. He's pretty frank on some stuff (like the Gretzky non-call), and definitely gives a perspective one doesn't hear about unless one knows a ref/umpire/etc.

[Craig P.]

Re: Book Thread number ?

What happened to the last reading thread? I just went looking for it and couldn't find it.

Anyway... I was looking around Borders before I traveled this past weekend, because I wanted to take advantage of a final 30% off coupon before they liquidated. I was looking for a new author to read, had my eye caught by Devon Monk's books, and bought Magic to the Bone. I'm now hooked on the Allie Beckstrom series, just went back to Borders (40% off Blu-Ray, 10% off books) and picked up book #3 after buying book #2 while I was in South Bend and reading it on the flight back.

[Probert]

Re: Book Thread number ?

What happened to the last reading thread? I just went looking for it and couldn't find it.

I could not find any trace of it, even when I searched my old posts all my posts in the old thread weren't there so I assume the thread was deleted by someone.

[bronconick]

Re: Book Thread number ?

They did do a massive cleanout of old threads, so depending on how long ago it started? it may have been eliminated. Note the zero threads in the Hall of Fame now.

[Craig P.]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Note the zero threads in the Hall of Fame now.

NOT COOL.

[First Time, Long Time]

Re: Book Thread number ?

"A Stolen Life" and "Those Guys Have All the Fun:Inside ESPN" both arrived in the mail today for my hubby.
"A Stolen Life" could be a tough read, he and Jaycee Dugard are roughly the same age and he grew up 45 minutes from where she was taken.
I have a much easier read, going back through "Harry Potter"

[Probert]

Re: Book Thread number ?

My Reads for the week


Trader of Secrets by Steve Martini like the last two books by Martini this one does not involve Paul Madriani in the courtroom but in a global thriller. Once again the Mexican assassin Liquida is trying to murder him his friends and family. In his quest to find and stop Liquida Madriani comes into contact with a global conspiracy set in the Mexican Jungle to reign terror upon the Earth. Okay read but would much prefer that Madriani stay in the courtroom.

The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen This is the first Rizzoli and Isles book, well Rizzoli because Maura Isles does not appear in the book. Women are being raped murdered and mutilated throughout the Boston area and Jane Rizzolli is on the task force in search of the killer. Thrilling action as Rizzoli tries to stop the killer from claiming another victim placing herself in the path of danger. This series gets better as the books progress but this is still a good read.

Yankee for Life My 40 year Journey in Pinstripes By Bobby Murcer This was about what I expected a nice overview of Bobby Murcers playing and broadcast years with the New York Yankees and his battle with brain cancer. Worth reading for the Phil Rizzuto chapter alone.

[jen]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Read Doug Glanville's The Game from Where I Stand: A Ballplayer's Inside View - enjoyed it a lot. He's very well-spoken (the book definitely had a different feel than other "jock" books) and the book was interesting.

edit: am I missing something or can you not rate a book on Amazon anymore without writing a review?

[jen]

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I read "Eat, Pray, Love" and hated it. I found the main character completely self-obsessed - one of those people that likes to sit around and feel sorry for herself when her life isn't actually that bad, but she's more interested in being a ridiculous drama queen and dragging everyone down with her, and she's one of whose women who "become" whatever man they're dating. The more I read her descriptions of herself, the more I hated her.

[MissThundercat]

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Checked these out from the library:

"Ratio"- Ruhlman: Basically explains the necessary ratios for cooking, such as "3-2-1" pie dough, 3:1 for a vinaigrette, etc.

"Life, On The Line"- Grant Achatz: Achatz's memoir, including the story of Alinea and how he came back from cancer.

[MattS]

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In the past couple of weeks I finished reading tow books...

Hyperion by Dan Simmons. I never thought the story line of this book sounded good which is why I never read it before, but since it was one of three books on the list of the top 25 Scifi books ever written that I have never read I figured I should give it a go. It was a waste of my time. The story was way too contrived and way too long. It could have been half the length and it would have been more enjoyable.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Another horrible book. How this one gets good reviews is completely beyond me. The story is something that a 10 year old kid would come up with. The racing parts are complete BS. And I have to wonder if the author has ever owned a dog in his life as some of the things the dog does are things a dog would never do.

After striking out on these last two books, I am hoping for better from Discovery! Unearthing the New Treasures of Archaeology. It about the most significant archaeology discoveries of the past 15 years.

[Craig P.]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Hyperion by Dan Simmons. I never thought the story line of this book sounded good which is why I never read it before, but since it was one of three books on the list of the top 25 Scifi books ever written that I have never read I figured I should give it a go. It was a waste of my time. The story was way too contrived and way too long. It could have been half the length and it would have been more enjoyable.

Long, I can understand. Contrived? What did you find to be contrived?

You might find Fall of Hyperion a little more to your liking. The change of viewpoint may be a bit jarring (and unexpected considering that Hyperion leaves off mid-story), but the way I remember it, it moves a lot more quickly. It's still pretty dense, though, and it's a real challenge to wrap your head around everything that's happening philosophically and story-wise, particularly the interaction between the present of the story and the far future.

[Craig P.]

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I finished off the rest of Monk's Beckstrom books that have been published, and will likely be buying the next one shortly after its release in November.

Next up for me was Spin State, by Chris Moriarty. I thought it was outstanding. Part noir detective, part cyberpunk, part hard SF. And it has a bibliography of resources for information on the quantum science underlying lots of the hard SF bits!

[bronconick]

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I read Butcher's Ghost Story this week. Enjoyed it. A slow down novel after the last one. Not a great writer per se, but he always has a dozen or so quotable lines.

[MattS]

Re: Book Thread number ?

Long, I can understand. Contrived? What did you find to be contrived?

You might find Fall of Hyperion a little more to your liking. The change of viewpoint may be a bit jarring (and unexpected considering that Hyperion leaves off mid-story), but the way I remember it, it moves a lot more quickly. It's still pretty dense, though, and it's a real challenge to wrap your head around everything that's happening philosophically and story-wise, particularly the interaction between the present of the story and the far future.

It felt like Simmons thought he had to take every aspect of any great quest Fantasy or Scifi novel and jam it into the story whether it advanced the plot or not. Religion..check. A misfit group on a quest..check. A mysterious monster...check. Etc. It felt to me like he made a checklist of items to make sure were in the story and put them in there not matter what.

At any rate I certainly would not have it in the top 25 SciFi novels of all time. Certainly not with the likes of Dune, Ender's Game, The Forever War, etc.