books

by **OceanWalker32** » August 25th, 2007, 3:12 pm

A novel I've read in the past year that was really good was "Catch-22" - it's confusing at times, but brilliantly written and hilarious throughout. I don't usually like novels about war or the armed forces, but this one has a lot more to it than that and I really liked it.

Right now I'm reading some Stephen King and Charles Frazier. I REALLY want to read some things by David Sedaris and Chuck Palukniuk (sp?) in the future.

by **Chelpo** » August 25th, 2007, 10:33 pm

Harry Potter has a similar effect on me to watching Lost. I know it isn't as well-written as a lot of books, and I can pick out every little flaw and know exactly what isn't working, but I just can't stop reading. It's like cocaine. This isn't to say that I think either Harry Potter or Lost is badly written -- I think the strengths of both outweigh the weaknesses -- I'm just saying that the problems are really obvious (with Harry Potter it's the overly simple sentence structure and overly obvious symbolism, which I guess is partly because they're for children. With Lost, it's the godawful dialogue).

Catch-22 is one of my favorite books ever!

I'm in the middle of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender Is the Night right now. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. I think I like it.

by **CokaCokaCoh1** » August 25th, 2007, 11:18 pm

I love Harry Potter. The end.

by **LickMyLovePump** » August 26th, 2007, 3:28 am

Anyone prepared to admit that Harry Potter is even slightly overrated?

Just me then.

I'm currently re-reading Bob Dylan's Chronicles.

by **I ate all your bees** » August 26th, 2007, 6:23 am

Me. But then I always feel hypocritical saying that, because I read them all. I didn't even want to, she just sucked me in. If I could go back in time 10 years, I'd slap that book right out of my nine year old hands. Chelpo is right, it's like cocaine.

by **Chelpo** » August 26th, 2007, 6:28 am

I think the thing to remember about Harry Potter is that its original target audience was 10 years old (although I think by the last book, it's considerably older). Does it stand up against Crime and Punishment? Probably not, but I think it fits in quite nicely with the Chronicles of Narnia or Alice in Wonderland or any other children's book that deals with some more difficult themes. I think Harry Potter is amazing alone for how many children have started reading regularly because of it.

Website · by **Banana Family** » August 27th, 2007, 11:09 am

Harry Potter is like the gateway drug of literature. Its such an easy read that people would try to naturally go to harder stuff. I also don't think its overrated. Most people say its good but not like the end all of book series. Its just a fun read.

by **byron** » August 27th, 2007, 2:14 pm

I think Harry Potter is amazing alone for how many children have started reading regularly because of it.

Not to mention how many adults read it, too. I'm for just about anything that gets more people reading.

Not my cup of tea, though.

Currently, I'm reading "Parallel Worlds" by Dr. Michio Kaku, and it's frustrating.

When I get to the point where I'm about to say "bleep you, string theory" and throw that book in the garbage, I pick up my secondary reading material, "Dark Noon: the Final Voyage of the Fishing Boat Pelican", which is an easier read, but more depressing.

by **Blueberry Head** » August 27th, 2007, 4:19 pm

I finished The Brothers Karamazov, it was fantastic. I've never read anything as descriptive as Dostoevsky's work. And the final chapter is so sad and beautiful at the same time.

Next up is Blindness by Jose Saramago. I read about him in the NY Times Sunday magazine, and this book seemed interesting, it's being turned into a movie that'll be directed by the director of City of God and The Constant Gardener. Unfortunately, I'm going to wait about 10 days until school starts, to see if I can use it as my outside reading book or not.

by **CokaCokaCoh1** » August 27th, 2007, 5:41 pm

Blueberry Head wrote:Next up is Blindness by Jose Saramago. I read about him in the NY Times Sunday magazine, and this book seemed interesting, it's being turned into a movie that'll be directed by the director of City of God and The Constant Gardener. Unfortunately, I'm going to wait about 10 days until school starts, to see if I can use it as my outside reading book or not.

I had a classmate who really liked him. I forgot about him recommending him to me. Maybe I'll have to eventually check him out as well.

by **Phil Love AD!** » August 27th, 2007, 6:15 pm

Last time I read a book was last summer, not because I don't like to read, but because I haven't really found a subject that interests me that much. Anyway the book was The Man Who Turned On the World by Michael Hollingshead. Pretty trippy to say the least.
From the accounts told in this book, it kinda makes me wonder what I would have done if I was involved in the 60's psychedelic revolution.

by **Blueberry Head** » September 28th, 2007, 8:29 pm

I couldn't read Blindness for outside reading since it has to be American literature, so I'm reading American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. I saw the movie first, now I'm wishing I hadn't, because the book is fantastic.

Website · by **Banana Family** » September 28th, 2007, 9:18 pm

Yea I saw the movie like 12 times, then tried to read the book and failed. Not dissing on the book, I just can't read a book that soon after I see the movie, I plan to read it one day.
I'm reading Invisible Monsters right now. Its good(ish) so far.

by **Chelpo** » September 29th, 2007, 3:05 am

I've been reading Gravity's Rainbow (Thomas Pynchon) for a good month now and have barely made a dent. I love it, but it's so difficult to read I have to reread every sentence 3 times just to figure out what's going on. And beause I'm back at school now and don't have a lot of time for pleasure reading, I'll go a week at a time without reading any of it and then be so lost when I pick it up again I have to look back over chapters because I can't remember who the characters are. The worst thing is that it's 900 pages long, so it never feels like I'm getting anywhere.

Still, it's been a while since I've found an author I liked as much as Pynchon.

by **gobias30** » February 15th, 2008, 12:53 pm

I'm currently reading Stephen King's novella "The Mist." I didn't get a chance to see the movie in theaters so I wnat to read the story before I see it on DVD. It's a great monster story not only about the monsters that will kill you, but the monsters that are the people trapped in the store with you.

books

Who is online