Author Topic: Book Thread  (Read 50122 times)

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Offline Kevrock

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #300: April 27, 2012, 06:10:18 AM »

5 stars. Best read I've had in a while.


3.5 or 4 stars. One of my favorite Bryson reads.


Ehh. 2.5 or 3 stars. This wasn't nearly as enjoyable as The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #301: April 27, 2012, 09:27:21 AM »
I need to get back on the damn reading horse.  I really want this to be the year I do 52 books in 52 weeks.  I'd need to read around two books a week for the rest of the year to make that happen now.

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #302: April 27, 2012, 09:48:07 AM »
You could read Choose Your Own Adventure books.  :lol:

I signed up for a 40 book challenge (including books on tape). I guess I'm two books behind but I had a really weak January.

I don't want my book challenge to affect the type of books I select (e.g. shying away from long reads) so 40 seems like a decent number. I started Grapes of Wrath this week.

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #303: April 27, 2012, 09:55:33 AM »
I don't want my book challenge to affect the type of books I select (e.g. shying away from long reads) so 40 seems like a decent number. I started Grapes of Wrath this week.

400+ pages qualifies as long to me

Offline PebbleBall

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #304: April 27, 2012, 10:06:13 AM »
David Foster Wallace was the man.  Give "Consider the Lobster" (a collection of his essays) a try.  "Infinite Jest" is a bit ambitious but man-o-man is it hilarious (to me at least).

Trying to follow - are you aiming for a re-read of IJ this year or did you write this after having started?

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #305: April 27, 2012, 10:12:32 AM »
Trying to follow - are you aiming for a re-read of IJ this year or did you write this after having started?

I started reading it a few years ago and quit on around page 400.  Consider it's over 1,000 pages long that could qualify as three books. 

By the way - great avatar, didn't peg you for a fan of the Spitkickers..

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #306: April 27, 2012, 10:13:26 AM »
I quit IJ a couple hundred pages in. It was funny, but long and weird and pretty hard to follow. I found it depressing, as well.

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #307: April 27, 2012, 10:16:46 AM »
I quit IJ a couple hundred pages in. ...  I found it depressing, as well.

the author did decide to eat a bullet - not really an upbeat guy

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #308: April 27, 2012, 10:21:57 AM »
the author did decide to eat a bullet - not really an upbeat guy

You obviously don't know anything about DFW if you that's what you believe.

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #309: April 27, 2012, 10:23:51 AM »
I quit IJ a couple hundred pages in. It was funny, but long and weird and pretty hard to follow. I found it depressing, as well.

I'm not sure I found it depressing, but I'm also a guy whose nickname is "Suicidal" and finds humor in everything in life, including near-death experiences.

Offline PebbleBall

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #310: April 27, 2012, 10:24:59 AM »
I started reading it a few years ago and quit on around page 400.  Consider it's over 1,000 pages long that could qualify as three books. 

By the way - great avatar, didn't peg you for a fan of the Spitkickers..

Godspeed.  If you do 52 books AND Infinite Jest in the same year, then  :worship:

I am, and I'm a bigger fan of that album specifically. 

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #311: April 27, 2012, 10:27:01 AM »
You obviously don't know anything about DFW if you that's what you believe.


He suffered from depression, quit his meds because of side effects and ultimately killed himself- his writing is insightful and funny, but again, not an upbeat guy

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #312: April 27, 2012, 10:28:09 AM »
Quote
On April 2, 2012, the group released De La Soul's Plug 1 & Plug 2 presents... First Serve with very little promotion, the album was released to positive reviews. The album was released without Plug 3, Maseo. The reason for his absence is unknown, but it is certain that the group is intact and have not broken up.

De La Soul have confirmed that they are again collaborating with Prince Paul and have "a lot" of music on the way, including the tentatively named eighth album, You're Welcome.

Wait, what? They released a new album?

Offline PebbleBall

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #313: April 27, 2012, 10:30:37 AM »

He suffered from depression, quit his meds because of side effects and ultimately killed himself- his writing is insightful and funny, but again, not an upbeat guy


The problem with authors and suicide is that it's hard to read anything after that without reading into it.  When he died a lot of people were surprised to find out he was depressed, let alone suicidal. 


Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #314: April 27, 2012, 10:30:52 AM »
Godspeed.  If you do 52 books AND Infinite Jest in the same year, then  :worship:


"Infinite Jest" might be something I save for next winter.  I'd like to get some quick victories before summertime rolls around.

I am, and I'm a bigger fan of that album specifically. 

"3 Feet High and Rising" is still my fav with "Stakes is High" a very close.  That song they did with Teenage Fanclub on the "Judgment Night" soundtrack ("Fallin'") is really good.  Used to start off every springtime mixtape with that track back in the day.

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #315: April 27, 2012, 10:34:10 AM »
He suffered from depression, quit his meds because of side effects and ultimately killed himself- his writing is insightful and funny, but again, not an upbeat guy

No one knows why he killed himself but it's a real stretch to say he wasn't an upbeat guy or that his quitting his medication lead to suicide.   That everyone was shocked that he did it really says a lot.  We're not talking about Mark Eitzel here.

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #316: April 27, 2012, 10:36:02 AM »
I'd like to get some quick victories before summertime rolls around.

a few suggestions -

the crying of lot 49 by pynchon great book and about ~150 pages

heart of darkness by conrad- classic and ~130 pages

twilight of the idols by nietzsche, one of his classics and -~80 pages
 


Offline PebbleBall

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #317: April 27, 2012, 10:38:10 AM »
Holy crap the Judgment Night soundtrack.

Offline Kevrock

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #318: April 27, 2012, 10:40:14 AM »
Stakes is High is probably my favorite, but I bought it right before a great vacation.

Native Tongues come through to make you say, "Yes yes"
This is the mighty Mos Def, style fresh like baby breath.

Loved this track.

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #319: April 27, 2012, 11:12:00 AM »
twilight of the idols by nietzsche, one of his classics and -~80 pages

Yeah, that and "The Island of Doctor Moreau" are next on the list.  I still need to finish this before I have to start over:


Offline Nathan

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Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #321: April 27, 2012, 03:24:32 PM »
WTF is your problem?

Don't feel bad, I once said "yeah, Mo Tucker's a pretty good drummer. Just wish he'd use a bigger bass drum."  Mo Tucker is a woman.

Offline Kevrock

  • Posts: 13788
  • That’s gonna be a no from me, doge.
Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #322: April 27, 2012, 04:34:45 PM »
WTF is your problem?

I guess I offended all the mods this morning.

Vonnegut is one of the greatest American authors, and I'd be hard-pressed to name a more important american author that has printed books during my life than him. He's required reading in most high schools. He'd also probably be right up your alley, being that you post about space and Reddit and nerdy stuff. I was surprised to see you mix him up with a pseudo-science quack.

Offline The Chief

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #323: April 27, 2012, 04:51:37 PM »
I can't speak for Nathan but I took his post as a tongue-in-cheek admission of ignorance.

I know the guy's name and I *might* have been able to tell you he was an author, but beyond that I couldn't tell you a single thing about him without looking it up.

Offline MarquisDeSade

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Re: Buk Reedin' Thred (Book Thread)
« Reply #324: April 27, 2012, 05:14:39 PM »
Vonnegut is one of the greatest American authors, and I'd be hard-pressed to name a more important american author that has printed books during my life than him.

Somewhere in a bar in Echo Park, Charles Bulowski's ghost spits out his beer in disgust.