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The Book Thread
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Sun, 31 Oct 2010 10:53:46

Let's see, they've got sexual violence against women, but are well receievd, this means that they MUST be incredibly stupid. There's no two ways around it. WinkWink (And no other way around it for artists!)

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Sun, 31 Oct 2010 19:01:12
bugsonglass said:

i am considering reading Stieg Larrson's Millenium trilogy (or at least the first part to see how I like it).  Have you guys read any of those three books (girl with he dragon tattoo ...)?  What did you think of it/them?  

i normally stay away from books which are that popular (at least while they are that popular) but i've heard wonderful things about friends whose taste i trust.

I saw the movie which was excellent. I have the first book which someone gave my bro as a present. He re-gifted to me.

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Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:21:29

Today I finished reading Deborah Curtis's biography of her late husband Ian Curtis, lead singer of the band Joy Division, who took his own life in his early twenties.  This is one of those books I bought a very long time (as in many years) ago but never read.  I was reminded of it a few weeks ago when I watched "24 Hour Party People".  It's a very sad story, and his wife was the biggest victim in it and she makes that very plain in her story, though she comes across still as rather compassionate and loving and puts her bitterness firmly in the back seat.

It's an interesting book, though not exactly very enjoyable to read because it's basically a book about someone who wanted to kill himself.  Still, I'm glad I read it eventually even if my interest in Joy Division nowadays is nothing like it was 12-15 years ago.

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Mon, 29 Nov 2010 03:46:47

Oh yeah, I read Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett awhile ago. Usual Terry Pratchett fair: humorous, well written and very enjoyable. However he definitely deserves far, far more credit for his themes and philosophising.

Wee Mad Arthur FTW.

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Mon, 29 Nov 2010 05:04:04

I read about 10 Discworld novels then I sort of grew out of it.  But he is a very witty writer

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Mon, 29 Nov 2010 06:31:45
bugsonglass said:

I read about 10 Discworld novels then I sort of grew out of it.  But he is a very witty writer

Which I think sells him a bit short given that that's pretty much the only qualtiy many think he has.

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Mon, 29 Nov 2010 06:56:17

Reading a book about Blair's time in office.  I read Allistar Campbell's book last year and thought that would cover it, but this is from an outsider's perspective with good sources, so I'm learnign stuff and enjoying it.

Also reading Woodward's latest Obama's Wars.  Over the last year I've read every single one of his books and this is by far the worst written.  The content is interesting, but the actualy writing is basically a recounting of an interview with a source, followed by President Obama saying, "Without going into the details, that is a fair characterization of the meeting".  Again, still interesting for his usual "fly-on-the-wall" content.  The bottom line of the book is, no-one controls the Pentagon.

Edited: Mon, 29 Nov 2010 06:56:42

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Sun, 02 Jan 2011 23:49:58

I finished reading Gomorrah on the plane.  I started this months ago but I was only reading it in dribs and drabs so it took a while to finish but it was worth it.  The fact that this is non-fiction makes it one of the scariest books I have ever read.  It's not an easy read as there is no flowing narrative in it (as it's a jounralistic account) but it's stuff everyone has to read and know ...

Unless of course you choose to take the blue pill

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Thu, 28 Apr 2011 20:51:14

Over the last couple of weeks I read Atomised by  Michel Houellebecq.  Quite an interesting read though ultimately rather depressing as it's ultimately about the end of the human race as we know it.  I'm glad I read it.  I think I will seek out other books by this guy as I liked his style a lot.

I also finally read Laurie Lee's "Cider with Rosie" which most of you probably read as children or teenagers.  I loved it and regretted not reading it earlier.  Wonderful, unassuming, uncynical book about childhood.  I kind of needed something positive like this.

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Fri, 29 Apr 2011 10:32:02

Have I reccomended Dashiel Hammet great novels collection? He was the guy who wrote the Maltest Falcon, along with Raymond Chandler they were the founder of modern crime writing. There is a complilation book of Hammet's novels, some of which are incredible to read, like Red Harvest. I think a Chandler summed it up when talking about Hammet - he wrote things which read like no one else had ever come up with them before. It was just original, bold and edgy stuff. For the time that is.

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Thu, 16 Jun 2011 08:09:21

^When I was a kid I LOVED those pulp fiction noire novels.  I wish I could remember the name of my favorite, it had all the usual ingredients. It had femme fatales, love triangles, ex-soldier doing some PI work on the side, bodies in trunks... that kind of thing.

=-=-

I just finished re-reading Michael Lewis' Losers which is about the 1996 election campaign.  He's such a good writer.

Last night I read almost half of Machievelli's The Prince, which may sound impressive, but it's only a little book.  It has some good take-aways in it.  Don't really see why he's seen to be all evil etc..., he provides some solid advice which would have been well heeded by several leaders over the last decade or so.

Still reading this fat book about Mao Tse Tung.  He's either a real asshole or the historians who wrote this book have it in for him.  It is heavily footnoted and widely praised by credible sources though.  So far I'm just reading about the early days when he was "working" with the Soviets (by working I mean lazing about screwing everything in a dress while blowing the money the Russians were sending him on houses and books).

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Thu, 16 Jun 2011 08:16:22

I enjoyed "The Prince".  Have had a lot of trouble with my narcolepsy/drowsiness recently so I'm having trouble staying awake while reading.  Started "Through the Looking Glass" but much as I love it I fall asleep before getting through 3-4 pages.

Going sailing again this summer like last year though, so hopefully I'll get through several books on the boat

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Thu, 16 Jun 2011 09:31:58

A you responsible for any of the actual sailing, or is it a big enough boat that others do it?

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Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:17:17

Not sure if this counts but I got the Art of Howl's Moving Castle book.

Awesome, as is the Spirited Away one

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Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:37:03
aspro said:

A you responsible for any of the actual sailing, or is it a big enough boat that others do it?

It's a 30ft mono-haul.  2 people on board.  Skipper and myself as the only/entire crew.  I'm responsible for a good bit of the sailing a lot of the time but I'm not experienced enough to do it single-handedly

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Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:44:21

I haven't read any books for months.

Too busy writing. Sad

Edited: Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:46:46

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Thu, 16 Jun 2011 21:16:43
Foolz said:

I haven't read any books for months.

Too busy writing. Sad



I think about this about once a month. Did you do your annual re-cap for 2010? I did not see it here.

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Fri, 17 Jun 2011 03:33:11
aspro said:




I think about this about once a month. Did you do your annual re-cap for 2010? I did not see it here.

I did, and I think you said you and your wife read it...but maybe I didn't post it here and imagined that! Maybe that was the year before. Here's a link to it on GS anyway. (Easier to find there.)

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Fri, 17 Jun 2011 04:44:21

Yeah that was in response to your 2009 entry, we missed this years. Thanks, I will read later tonight.

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Fri, 17 Jun 2011 11:00:27
aspro said:

Yeah that was in response to your 2009 entry, we missed this years. Thanks, I will read later tonight.



Oops. Well, hope you like it!

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