What are you reading? What was the last book you enjoyed?

[jammer06]

So I finally decided to give the discworld novels a go. I've read some of them randomly and they don't really seem to need to follow one another but I figured I'd start with:

The color of Magic
by Terry Pratchett

In general having read some of his work before I thought it was a fantastic introduction to the world and was classically unpredictable in the angry british style. There's real question throughout the book if there's any point at all and at the same time there's wonderful sarcasm and satire going on during the ride. Maybe I was in the right mood for it but I really enjoyed the book.

 

[jammer06]

Finally read through the stage play of the cursed child.

I think it was pretty decent considering its dialogue thats meant for theater. The overall story was very entertaining and some of the themes were neat even if the attempts to mislead the story were a tad obvious.

 

[JWR]

Finished this series of short stories by George R. R. Martin and enjoyed it very much

 

[jammer06]

Free Radicals by Michael Brooks

This is a book that tries a little too hard with its message but is stories are very much on par with the concepts that were brought up in Thomas Kuhns seminal work The structure of Scientific Revolutions. Brooks refers to anarchy to refer to any time a scientist deviates in the slightest path to present even a hypothesis let alone a theory and from my own personal experience its true. The sciences do not like change and its mostly by force of will that it becomes accomplished. I do wish he'd delved more into academic families only briefly touching on their importance but this is an eye opening read for anyone not familiar with how nasty the fights about what is right can get.
Remember on the cutting edge of research there are no experts, everyone is guessing at that stage and amongst the "leaders" of the field there are significant egos involved and the one stereotype of these people being nonfunctional in normal society can kick into high gear in these circumstances.
in any case it was a neat read and exposes many of the flaws in the peer review process to people unfamiliar. The ideas he pushes to solve them however are failing spectacularly at the moment so at some point another brilliant solution will be offered.
Off to try Thinking fast and slow next.

 

[orpheus]

Free Radicals by Michael Brooks

This is a book that tries a little too hard with its message but is stories are very much on par with the concepts that were brought up in Thomas Kuhns seminal work The structure of Scientific Revolutions. Brooks refers to anarchy to refer to any time a scientist deviates in the slightest path to present even a hypothesis let alone a theory and from my own personal experience its true. The sciences do not like change and its mostly by force of will that it becomes accomplished. I do wish he'd delved more into academic families only briefly touching on their importance but this is an eye opening read for anyone not familiar with how nasty the fights about what is right can get.
Remember on the cutting edge of research there are no experts, everyone is guessing at that stage and amongst the "leaders" of the field there are significant egos involved and the one stereotype of these people being nonfunctional in normal society can kick into high gear in these circumstances.
in any case it was a neat read and exposes many of the flaws in the peer review process to people unfamiliar. The ideas he pushes to solve them however are failing spectacularly at the moment so at some point another brilliant solution will be offered.
Off to try Thinking fast and slow next.

I have been reading, but laziness has kept me from posting updates here.

I might get on that.

I am pretty big on Thomas Kuhn. I first read him in a philosophy of science class. And he's right about how paradigm shifts in science work, and really, paradigm shifts in other fields as a whole. People have to be willing to accept new ideas, otherwise, regardless of how valid these ideas are, they won't stick if the community at large is against change.

I think I'll add Free Radicals to my TBR pile.

Thinking, Fast and Slow is really good. It provides good ideas about how the brain works. It's a rather brainy book. :rimshot:

 

[RockPile]

Very Heinleinesque. A super easy read. Simple, likeable characters in a military setting. Not real deep on the technology side but enough to keep it interesting. Enjoyed it but not so much that I want to purchase sequels. I think it's his first novel so perhaps they get better.

 

[ucsdguy1]

second series of the Kingdom Keepers. (imagine if disneyland villains came to life and tried to take over the park. Teenage park hosts have to save the day).

so far so good.

 

[comprar]

World War Z, and the Survival guide.

Currently working on The Federalist.

 

[LetTigerIn]

The Girl on the Train
Paula Hawkins

I had this book sitting around for a while and decided to finally read it before the movie came out. This goes against my general recommendation for books and screen adaptations, but this is a case where the correct order is book first, then movie; or, considering the mixed reviews that are already coming in, maybe book first, then no movie at all. Even without the reviews, it struck me fairly early in the book that this could be tough property for the medium of film. IMO, it either needed to be very creatively reinterpreted or risk being a fairly banal movie. As a book, however, it's very good (incredible, even, in the first two-thirds). The best part of the book by far (and I mean very, very far) is getting to know the characters, and it's told from the different perspectives of several female characters.

 

[orpheus]

The Girl on the Train
Paula Hawkins

I had this book sitting around for a while and decided to finally read it before the movie came out. This goes against my general recommendation for books and screen adaptations, but this is a case where the correct order is book first, then movie; or, considering the mixed reviews that are already coming in, maybe book first, then no movie at all. Even without the reviews, it struck me fairly early in the book that this could be tough property for the medium of film. IMO, it either needed to be very creatively reinterpreted or risk being a fairly banal movie. As a book, however, it's very good (incredible, even, in the first two-thirds). The best part of the book by far (and I mean very, very far) is getting to know the characters, and it's told from the different perspectives of several female characters.

That novel has been getting some pretty polarizing review. I came across a bad review of it that inspired me to read it, lol, because that review just tore the novel apart, haha. I figured it would either live up to the hype or be wonderfully bad. Well, I did read it, and you know, in my opinion, the book is somewhere in the middle of good and bad. I think the reason for why a lot of people disliked the novel, well, is that pretty much every character is despicable. Ok, the baby girl wasn't, lol, but yeah, the protagonist is hard to like. As far as the writing style goes, this novel has been compared to Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl." The similarities are that both books change perspective a lot, but I think that Flynn does it better and some of the voices from Paula Hawkins's characters could, in my opinion, be better. But the plot was tense and had enough plot twists to make me enjoy the book.

A lot of people say to watch the movie before the book since the movie usually is a let down after the book. That's true, but darn it, I am pretty much fixated on reading the book before the movies. It's mainly because I want to experience the shocks, twists, and while I am alone in reading the book. Of course, a lot of times, these things get changed, but still. I will probably try to watch the film at some point.

 

[LetTigerIn]

That novel has been getting some pretty polarizing review. I came across a bad review of it that inspired me to read it, lol, because that review just tore the novel apart, haha. I figured it would either live up to the hype or be wonderfully bad. Well, I did read it, and you know, in my opinion, the book is somewhere in the middle of good and bad. I think the reason for why a lot of people disliked the novel, well, is that pretty much every character is despicable. Ok, the baby girl wasn't, lol, but yeah, the protagonist is hard to like. As far as the writing style goes, this novel has been compared to Gillian Flynn's "Gone Girl." The similarities are that both books change perspective a lot, but I think that Flynn does it better and some of the voices from Paula Hawkins's characters could, in my opinion, be better. But the plot was tense and had enough plot twists to make me enjoy the book.

A lot of people say to watch the movie before the book since the movie usually is a let down after the book. That's true, but darn it, I am pretty much fixated on reading the book before the movies. It's mainly because I want to experience the shocks, twists, and while I am alone in reading the book. Of course, a lot of times, these things get changed, but still. I will probably try to watch the film at some point.

I can see why the book gets mixed reviews. The plot is pretty mundane, IMO, and the main suspense is really created mostly by the order in which details are revealed. However, I didn't know anything about the book going in, so some character flaws that manifested were a surprise to me. I hopped back and forth between the written page and the audio book, and the audio book is done very well. The performance of the characters really helps humanize the characters in a way that sounds like may have helped people enjoy the book more. So maybe in that way, the film will buoy the book (or maybe the movie will make them more despicable! haha!).

I never read Gone Girl, but I thought the movie was okay. Maybe I'll add it to the to-read pile.

 

[orpheus]

Orphy's Epic Book Update Part 1

Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon

This is considered to be one of Pynchon's most accessible novel. Probably. Still, it's a rather trippy novel. It's basically a noir mystery that uncovers conspiracies set in the 1960's L.A and drugs and stoned out narratives are present which makes it all the more confusing. I am not a Pynchon scholar, but I have read enough to decide that I have a love & hate relationship with his work.


The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon

I have read this before, sometime ago while in college. Since I read Inherent Vice this read & V last year, I wanted to revisit this. This is a story about a woman whose ex lover has kicked the bucket and wrote in his will that she should be the executor of his estate. Pretty straight forward premise, but not simple novel. As she learns more about her ex, she uncovers conspiracies, and the novel is a satire about the acquisition of knowledge and has several pop cultural references. Probably the one Pynchon novel to read if only one is going to read one since it illustrates his style, but isn't a million pages long, lol.

2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

I have seen the movie almost 2001 and one times, haha, but never read this book in it's entirety. It's basically very close to the movie, but more fleshed out. I enjoyed it.

The Collector by John Fowles

A novel about some creep who kidnaps a girl who he sees about town and who he is infatuated with. He keeps her prisoner in his house with the idea that she will eventually fall in love with him. In the novel we get sections that are told from both the point of view from both the man and the woman. It's pretty creepy, particularly the ending, and the how we get to read the protagonist's justifications for his actions. Since both the man and his captor and from different British classes, the novel also provides an examination of class. I really enjoyed this one.

Wonder Woman Unbound: The Curious History of the World's Most Famous Heroine by Tim Hanley

Since I am a Wonder Woman fan, I knew a lot about the stuff that this book talks about, but there were still some facts and analysis provided here that were insightful. It's good to have so many details and stories about Wonder Woman here in one place.


Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

This is a fantasy novel about a young woman who returns to Mexico after her father died and recollects her adolescence. It is a coming of age story about friendship and the fantasy of using spells to change one's life, in this case, the use of certain songs to effect events. It's somewhat of an odd novel, but it really works well as a story of how important music is during adolescence.

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

This novel starts with two sisters in Africa (Ghana). One who ends up being married to a British man who is part of the slave trade and the other who is sold to slavery and ends up in the U.S. The novel then follows the two family lines and draws parallels and differences between black people in both Africa and the U.S, along with their challenges and triumphs. I really enjoyed this intergenerational tale and learned a lot, particularly about the history of Ghana.

There will be other parts coming....

 

[Kings Provisional]

So I happen to be reading this as well, even before I saw your guys (LetTigerIn & Orphy) posts. My wife needed a book at the airport and I got it for her.

She said she liked so I started.

I can see why some might not like it, as mentioned the characters are not likeable people and some might not like the authors writing style. But I happen to be enjoying this book so far. I like that it is a pretty quick read, that there are some some good plot twists and I even sorta like that the three main characters are in fact people that are not very likeable, one being a very broken woman.

The other factor of my liking it may be that, as some of you know, I just got back from visiting London. And I'm pretty sure I took a part of the route on the tube/train line that is described in the book, I did take a the line that winds up at Euston Station. On that line and a couple others you do go through neighborhoods that are exactly like the one described in the book: two story Victorian houses with narrow back yards that go right up to the tracks. Sitting in a window seat you can see people on their patios, in the back yards and in their houses through the windows. So reading that was very real to me, I had just experienced it. So perhaps that drew me in.

 

[Salty Dog]

Orphy's Epic Book Update Part 1
The Collector by John Fowles

A novel about some creep who kidnaps a girl who he sees about town and who he is infatuated with. He keeps her prisoner in his house with the idea that she will eventually fall in love with him. In the novel we get sections that are told from both the point of view from both the man and the woman. It's pretty creepy, particularly the ending, and the how we get to read the protagonist's justifications for his actions. Since both the man and his captor and from different British classes, the novel also provides an examination of class. I really enjoyed this one.

Have you read The Magus by Fowles? One of my all-time favorite books and a total mindf***. I haven't read it in years, and might need to give it a re-reading just to see how it stands up, but if you liked The Collector you'll probably really like The Magus.

 

[orpheus]

Have you read The Magus by Fowles? One of my all-time favorite books and a total mindf***. I haven't read it in years, and might need to give it a re-reading just to see how it stands up, but if you liked The Collector you'll probably really like The Magus.

I haven't read any other John Fowles actually, but I would like to get to The Magus and The French Lieutenant's Woman eventually.

 

[jammer06]

Trigger Warnings by Neil Gaiman

This is another compilation of short stories by Neil Gaiman and I had not read any of them before. Wonderfully dark his introduction into what a trigger warning is and his well timed satirist idea to include it by way of warning about his content was perfect. In the same vein as smoke and mirrors and Fragile things most of these stories are meant to make you uneasy. Great to read in small chunks or a straight read through. Cant recommend enough for gaiman fans or short fiction horror.

 

[jammer06]

As You Wish

By Cary Elwes and Joe Layden

Took me a lot longer to get a copy of this book than I thought originally when it came out. For any fan of the movie that likes to read I say get a nice bottle of wine and a cozy chair, maybe some tissues and enjoy a good time. Certainly this book is written as a celebration and full of anecdotes not just from Cary but many in the cast so you can get a better sense of some of the way everyone viewed things. Generally speaking they are all tremendously proud of the entire affair. The stories surrounding Andre are all marvelously told and while many have slipped out into the interwebz before the lighting they are cast here are extremely touching and probably a highlight of the book. I'll probably be pulling this off my shelf again just for the sheer pleasure.

 

[jammer06]

Thinking Fast and Slow

By Daniel Kahneman

Thanks again to Let Tiger In for mentioning this book and several others for this recommendation. My goodness is there a lot in this book to make you think. The bend of philosophy on regression mathematics and logic really took me for a turn and I think fleshed out a lot more some of the understanding that I had been missing in the more mathematically bent books I've read. The general concepts of the 2 different styles of thinking, recognizing which system I'm applying and trying to appreciate which method should be more appropriate is probably the first hardest step of taking anything out of this book. The second is recognizing when other people are applying one method of thought to an idea you are trying to convey and immediately face palming because you know they are absolutely on the wrong track of what you were trying to get out of them and just how monumental it will be to get them to switch over. This one I am sure I am going to read several times over because first of all its simply a lot of information and i'm sure I dumped half of it already, but also its the kind of information that needs refreshing to be sure you can apply it and I think without a doubt it would help almost anyone professionally.

 

[orpheus]

I have nothing but good things to say about Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. I was sure that I wrote a review of it here, but I didn't 'cause laziness got the best of me. *sigh* But that book taught me thangs. I like his discussion on Anchoring, particularly.

Haha. Now I want to read that book again.

I'll do a book update soon! *dolphin promise*

 

[jammer06]

I have nothing but good things to say about Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. I was sure that I wrote a review of it here, but I didn't 'cause laziness got the best of me. *sigh* But that book taught me thangs. I like his discussion on Anchoring, particularly.

Haha. Now I want to read that book again.

I'll do a book update soon! *dolphin promise*

Michael Lewis of moneyball fame is writing a history of Amos and Danniel. From this excerpt i think it will be a fascinating read when it comes out

http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/11/decision-science-daniel-kahneman-amos-tversky