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ElginBaylor
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 8:47 am    Post subject: Book Recommendations

We have threads on TV, Movies, Politics, etc.... For you readers out there, what books are your favorites, and what books are on your list? I'll start:

Brandon Sanderson Stormlight Archives is a 6 book series. I'm on book 2, Words of Radiance. If you like fantasy and haven't explored Sanderson's work you need to put this series on your list.
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 9:12 am    Post subject:

Giovanni's Room (1956) James Baldwin
To Kill A Mockingbird (1960) Harper Lee
The Carpetbaggers (1961) Harold Robbins
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 1:22 pm    Post subject:

Right now I’m reading The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis and Smoking Kills by Antoine Laurain.

Favorites would be anything by Joan Didion, Cormac McCarthy, Orwell, Vonnegut, Michael Chabon, Pynchon, David Foster Wallace, Borges, and Faulkner.

Some recent reads would be The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, anything by Ottessa Moshfeg (especially Death in Her Hands), Eimear McBride, and Colson Whitehead
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 2:39 pm    Post subject:

At the moment I'm reading "Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm" by Thich Nhat Hanh. It's a fast read.

I'm also reading "Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It" by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz. Ugh. It's a book that was recommended to me by someone at work. As someone who negotiates for a living, I don't buy it.
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focus
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PostPosted: Wed Feb 15, 2023 5:39 pm    Post subject:

Heartburn wrote:
At the moment I'm reading "Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm" by Thich Nhat Hanh. It's a fast read.

I'm also reading "Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It" by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz. Ugh. It's a book that was recommended to me by someone at work. As someone who negotiates for a living, I don't buy it.
Well what book/writer about negotiation do you like?
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ElginBaylor
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 11:20 am    Post subject:

Cutheon wrote:
Right now I’m reading The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis and Smoking Kills by Antoine Laurain.

Favorites would be anything by Joan Didion, Cormac McCarthy, Orwell, Vonnegut, Michael Chabon, Pynchon, David Foster Wallace, Borges, and Faulkner.

Some recent reads would be The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, anything by Ottessa Moshfeg (especially Death in Her Hands), Eimear McBride, and Colson Whitehead


Have you read anything by Carl Hiaasen?
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 1:32 pm    Post subject:

focus wrote:
Heartburn wrote:
At the moment I'm reading "Fear: Essential Wisdom for Getting Through the Storm" by Thich Nhat Hanh. It's a fast read.

I'm also reading "Never Split The Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It" by Christopher Voss and Tahl Raz. Ugh. It's a book that was recommended to me by someone at work. As someone who negotiates for a living, I don't buy it.
Well what book/writer about negotiation do you like?


I really don't like them at all. I find building a rapport with people and being as forthright and honest as possible makes for a good negotiation. Research also goes a long way. You have to do your homework.

There are always people who try to game the system, but they get exposed.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 1:36 pm    Post subject:

I’m reading The HAB Theory, fiction about what happens when Earth has a magnetic reversal and how nations have to work together to survive.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 1:37 pm    Post subject:

ElginBaylor wrote:
Cutheon wrote:
Right now I’m reading The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis and Smoking Kills by Antoine Laurain.

Favorites would be anything by Joan Didion, Cormac McCarthy, Orwell, Vonnegut, Michael Chabon, Pynchon, David Foster Wallace, Borges, and Faulkner.

Some recent reads would be The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, anything by Ottessa Moshfeg (especially Death in Her Hands), Eimear McBride, and Colson Whitehead


Have you read anything by Carl Hiaasen?


I haven't! Any recommendations? I checked him out and see he does both adult and YA, I'd prefer the former but always open to anything!

BTW, on fantasy, I really like Sanderson, and read the first three of the stormlight. Need to catch up on the rest, just haven't been in a fantasy mood lately.

That said, if you are looking for fantasy recommendations, Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles is a good read, albeit he's a bit like George RR Martin in that he's a slow writer and it's unclear if this (expected) trilogy will ever finish--but the first two books and a companion novella exploring an interesting tertiary character are pretty good!

(He's also a popular rec, and my guess is you've probably already read it or are aware, but figured I'd give him a shout out anyway.)

I'll try and think of some other fantasy reccs - i got a stack somewhere
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 1:38 pm    Post subject:

venturalakersfan wrote:
I’m reading The HAB Theory, fiction about what happens when Earth has a magnetic reversal and how nations have to work together to survive.


Any good? What would happen? I'm assuming game over for mankind
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 1:38 pm    Post subject:

venturalakersfan wrote:
I’m reading The HAB Theory, fiction about what happens when Earth has a magnetic reversal and how nations have to work together to survive.


Any good? What would happen? I'm assuming game over for mankind
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venturalakersfan
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 16, 2023 1:52 pm    Post subject:

Cutheon wrote:
venturalakersfan wrote:
I’m reading The HAB Theory, fiction about what happens when Earth has a magnetic reversal and how nations have to work together to survive.


Any good? What would happen? I'm assuming game over for mankind


It’s good, I’m getting to the point where the US is trying to convince the rest of the world about the dangers. Not from the book but what actually happens is that magnetic north moves, some theorize that it’s caused by the ice caps moving and affecting the rotation of the earth. In real life, reversals haven’t resulted in mass damage.
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2023 3:00 am    Post subject:

Great thread. Have always been a non-fiction guy. The last 2 I've read are Justinian's Flea (about the bubonic plague during the reign of the Byzantine emperor Justinian)and The Great Betrayal (about the sack of Constantinople during the 4th crusade).
But this year I've decide to revisit my favorite classics. I just finished Dostoevski's Crime and Punishment and now reading Tolstoy's Anna Karenina. Enjoying every page.
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2023 7:10 am    Post subject:

I'm in the middle of "Contemporary Acoustic Guitar Design and Build" by Gilet & Gore, but this is obviously of little interest for all but a very narrow audience.
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 20, 2023 8:25 am    Post subject:

Cutheon wrote:
ElginBaylor wrote:
Cutheon wrote:
Right now I’m reading The Shards by Bret Easton Ellis and Smoking Kills by Antoine Laurain.

Favorites would be anything by Joan Didion, Cormac McCarthy, Orwell, Vonnegut, Michael Chabon, Pynchon, David Foster Wallace, Borges, and Faulkner.

Some recent reads would be The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows, anything by Ottessa Moshfeg (especially Death in Her Hands), Eimear McBride, and Colson Whitehead


Have you read anything by Carl Hiaasen?


I haven't! Any recommendations? I checked him out and see he does both adult and YA, I'd prefer the former but always open to anything!

BTW, on fantasy, I really like Sanderson, and read the first three of the stormlight. Need to catch up on the rest, just haven't been in a fantasy mood lately.

That said, if you are looking for fantasy recommendations, Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles is a good read, albeit he's a bit like George RR Martin in that he's a slow writer and it's unclear if this (expected) trilogy will ever finish--but the first two books and a companion novella exploring an interesting tertiary character are pretty good!

(He's also a popular rec, and my guess is you've probably already read it or are aware, but figured I'd give him a shout out anyway.)

I'll try and think of some other fantasy reccs - i got a stack somewhere


A lot of fantasy just feels like the same old tropes, but thanks for the recommendations. That's why I like Sanderson. He's redefined the genre.

As far as Hiassen, Stormy Weather and Lucky You are the two that I recall really enjoying.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 23, 2023 12:42 am    Post subject:

Recent fascination with ancient Greece, just finished a book on Thermopylae and ordered a book on Alexander the Great from eBay..
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 23, 2023 1:22 am    Post subject:

unleasHell wrote:
Recent fascination with ancient Greece, just finished a book on Thermopylae and ordered a book on Alexander the Great from eBay..


You may also like Tom Holland's (not Spidey Tom Holland) Persian Fire, a well-written account of the Greek-Persian wars in the 5th centrury B.C.
And of course the classic History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 23, 2023 4:46 pm    Post subject: Re: Book Recommendations

ElginBaylor wrote:
We have threads on TV, Movies, Politics, etc.... For you readers out there, what books are your favorites, and what books are on your list? I'll start:

Brandon Sanderson Stormlight Archives is a 6 book series. I'm on book 2, Words of Radiance. If you like fantasy and haven't explored Sanderson's work you need to put this series on your list.


Another Sanderson fan here. I smashed through his bibliography when I first discovered him about 10 y ears ago. I would forget to eat sometimes lol. In the middle of The Lost Metal at the moment. All of the different worlds and series he's created are all connected and I think the Archives are going to wrap things up when it's all said and done. Stormlight Archives is eventually going to be 10 core books I believe.

You should check out the Mistborn series and the followup Wax and Wayne series. They're really quick reads.
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PostPosted: Thu Feb 23, 2023 5:04 pm    Post subject:

I really loved Stephen Kings “The Institute”. The way he builds the separate story arcs and has them collide is quite fantastic. I heard they were turning it in to a Tv show. There is no way the show will be nearly as good.
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 4:15 am    Post subject: Re: Book Recommendations

jonnybravo wrote:
ElginBaylor wrote:
We have threads on TV, Movies, Politics, etc.... For you readers out there, what books are your favorites, and what books are on your list? I'll start:

Brandon Sanderson Stormlight Archives is a 6 book series. I'm on book 2, Words of Radiance. If you like fantasy and haven't explored Sanderson's work you need to put this series on your list.


Another Sanderson fan here. I smashed through his bibliography when I first discovered him about 10 y ears ago. I would forget to eat sometimes lol. In the middle of The Lost Metal at the moment. All of the different worlds and series he's created are all connected and I think the Archives are going to wrap things up when it's all said and done. Stormlight Archives is eventually going to be 10 core books I believe.

You should check out the Mistborn series and the followup Wax and Wayne series. They're really quick reads.

I've read the original Mistborn trilogy. Bought a copy of Alloy of Law around Christmas but haven't gotten to it yet. Yeah, there's connections between all of these worlds.
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PostPosted: Fri Feb 24, 2023 3:18 pm    Post subject:

The witness wore red (ex Mormon story)
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PostPosted: Tue Mar 07, 2023 6:27 pm    Post subject:

Not high art, but recently read the book "Wolfen" that was adapted to film in 1981. I picked up the original hardcover cheap years ago, but never read til Feb. I had seen the movie a few times ever since the 80s. The movie itself was good for that kinda subject matter and had Albert Finney, EJ Olmos, and Greg Hines. The budget was limited on special FX and it faded in reflection with the other werewolf flicks of that year that are still lauded for their practical FX. As a result, the Wolfen people had to make the flick into a suspense thriller with good acting. They made them telepathic wolves instead of FX critters, but the film didn't suffer a great deal. Other than that, it was close to the book plot-wise and most of the scenes in common were well-constructed on film/screen.

The mystical Native American trope was used, tho the mystical POC of all kinds are a movie/industry staple. Scatman in Shining, e.g. The black Robert Johnson/Devil mythos in Crossroads w/ Macchio, Billy in Predator, Ruben Blades the mystical Latino in pt 2, etc. Wolfen the film also is the first movie w/ the 1st person creature vision that I can think of. Predator chise used it later, but Wolfen's treatment was spookier looking/sounding.


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PostPosted: Wed Mar 08, 2023 12:00 pm    Post subject:

dont_be_a_wuss wrote:
I really loved Stephen Kings “The Institute”. The way he builds the separate story arcs and has them collide is quite fantastic. I heard they were turning it in to a Tv show. There is no way the show will be nearly as good.


Yes. David E. Kelley wrote the script.
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