Rate the last Book you read [Archive]

Topsy

10-29-16, 06:01 PM

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Kelsey Grammer- So far

Ive always had a bit of a fascination with Kelsey after I read about the tradgedies in his life. His father was shot,his stepbrother died in a shark attack,his sister was kidnapped,gangraped and murdered,his other stepbrother got shot,and he himself has battled both drugs & alcohol and an abusive marriage .So i was very interested when i found out he had written a autobiography. Fair enough the cover looks horrid but i decided to give it ago nonetheless.
The book is an easy read-but just his way of talking/writing can be incredibly annoying and comes across as very condescending.It gets harder to hold on to the sympathy i had for him the further i go into the book,he didnt know his father and brothers,he does talk about his sister a bit but paints a fairly poor picture of her.In his book he`s the marvelous,talented,hero of the town and everyone else is a mess. But even when read his version of things where hes trying to make himself out as the good guy-you still sit there and think that he wasnt. This is the only autobiography were i leave it liking the person less
and not because hes brutally honest and hard on himself,but because eventhough he tries to come across as this amazing humanbeing,he still comes across as a major douche with no empathy for others.He`s treatment of his suicidal girlfriend was the last straw for me,not only how he treated her then but how cold he writes about her now.

this is a one read for me.
rating_0_5

Topsy

10-29-16, 06:15 PM

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I think you know-Jon Gandal

I think you know is the real story about an 8 year old boy who was beaten to death by his stepfather. I think you know/ I think you can figure it out on your own is the reply his assistant at school got when she asked him about his bruises.
This is a beyond horrible story,thats broken up with facts about the school system,social services and abuse statics. The book tries to be as neutral as possible and to shed some light on how this happened.In this case the assistant got alot of the blame eventhough she did what she was supposed to do and had no power or authority beyond on that.Shes also the one who seems to still be struggeling with what happened,as she no longer managed to work whilst the childs mother had another baby with her sons murderer.

rating_3_5

Topsy

10-29-16, 06:23 PM

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Sharon Tate/family-Restless souls
This is the book i was mentioning in the topsypop thread in regards to a sharon tate movie being made-
This is a book put together by Sharon Tates niece,and it holds the story of sharons sister-Patti,her mother-Doris and her dad-P.J,all of whom had written down what would be their autobiography or story of what happened to Sharon but all passed away before they were able to release it.The book shares several stories about Sharon-including her meeting Roman Polanski and what her family really thought/thinks of him,it details them finding out about her murder and the aftermath of that-including the investigation,the tabloids, the trial(s) and her mothers work for victims.I was genuinely shocked to see how much a victims family has to go through,its horrifying.. Theres several story cameos by celebrities such as mama cass and gunsNroses-and not all come out looking too good. This one of my favourite books.

rating_5

Topsy

10-29-16, 06:42 PM

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Cheryl Cole-My Story

Cheryl was part of one of the most successfull english bands ever,Girls Aloud and is one of the most successfull female artists in England-
she was married to (at the time) chelsea footballer Ashley Cole,worked as a judge on X factor and was a tabloid darling.Yet it all came crashing down when several girls sold lewd stories to the press about her husband,she was fired by her friend Simon Cowell on Xfactor for being too fat and she got bitten by a mosquito on holiday which gave her malaria and sent her into a life/death situation. The book also covers her poverty stricken childhood,growing up in Newcastle surrounded by drugs. Interesting read even though you might not be a fan of her music
rating_4

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Kimberley Walsh-A Whole lot of History

Kimberley starred alongside Cheryl as part of the girlgroup Girls Aloud.
Her book brings up her childhood troubles because of her parents arguing.
It describes her love of theater and her time in Girls Aloud-Kimberley takes it one step further than Cheryl and goes on to single out a certain members of the group who shes not very favourable towards.
It does feel like she is grasping at straws,trying to find something interesting to write about-Kimberely is gorgeous,and seems like a genuinly nice person but in the entertainment industry that also makes you kind of boring,which quite frankly she is on her own without the rest of the girls. This is a book for fans only
rating_1_5

Topsy

10-29-16, 06:53 PM

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Jason Priestly-A memoir

Jason Priestly is an american actor best known for his part as Brandon Walsh on Beverly Hills 90210,which is also what the book mostly talks about. During his time one the show he struggled to rid himself of the goodie twoshoe reputation he got from that role. It also talks about his step over into the directors chair which was supported by Aaron Spelling who let him direct a few episodes of BH. Its an easy read,doesnt really reveal too much,but is enjoyable yet forgettable.
rating_1

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Jennie Garth-Deep thoughts from a Hollywood blonde

Que the second Beverly Hills actor on my read-list-Jennie Garth who played Kelly Taylor,she also starred alongside Amanda Bynes on another sitcom called "Something I like about You" and several 90s tv movies,one in which she met her now exhusband-twilights Peter Facinelli.She writes about her days on set of BH 90210 aswell-she talks alot more though about the relationship between the castmembers,especially the girls`which wasnt always so good.Though she talks about Tori and Shannon Dorothy-who shes now friends with-she fails to mention both Vanessa Mercil,who publicly said she was bullied by the girls,and Tiffani Amber Thiessen-who Jennie was very close with for many years (close enough to be bridesmaid and have her there during the birth of her first child) but had a big falling out with. She talks about her upbrining and family,how she got into the buisness,dealing with fame and later dealing with the break up of her marriage. Again an easy read and enjoyable-but you definitly could sense her leaving important parts out.
I absolutely hate the cover and title
rating_1_5

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Jennifer Lopez-True Love

Jennifer Lopez talks about her journey to self acceptence and not being reliant on other peoples love. Apparantly this book started out as a tour book for fans but "evolved" into something more as she worked on it-this is evident by the long,way too detailed describtions of her performances on her last tour,completely out of place. She talks about her previous relationships aswell as the breakdown of her marriage to Marc Anthony.
This book is a messy mish-mash of different things,being pulled in all different directions and therefor ends up nowhere.
This is a book solely for a die hard J.LO fans,which i am not and quite frankly i felt reading the book was a major waste of time.

rating_0

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Leah Remini-TROUBLE MAKER: surviving Hollywood and Scientology

On to J.Los bestfriend,King of Queens actress Leah Remini.
Leah can be quite loud and to some a bit obnoxious,which is why i love her-she has a great sense of humour and is shamelessly honest! She gained alot of attention when she publicly left the cult known as Scientology and her book about it was eagerly awaited-and she delivered.She talks about her ubringing within the cult,the courses and classes you had to take,why she left-and she lays into Tom Cruise like no one before,both how the cult bends to his wishes and his prima donna behaviour.She also talks about her time one set of King of Queens.
rating_4

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Marilyn Monroe-My Story
This is actually the first one that caught me a bit off guard.
I`ve always been interessted in Marilyn,yet didnt know about this book till a few years ago-i assumed that was because it wasnt all that good or interesting. Also because of the times I expected it to be too formal and thus not reveal anything of interest.
I was wrong.Marilyn writes quite honestly about her horrible childhood which she mostly spent in fostercare with people who didnt care for her,abuse,her mothers mental illness,her insecurities,the nudephotos and how people tried to fool her around qnd her marriage to Joe Demaggio,who she was married to at the time.She does come across as a bit aloof at times,but i guess thats a bit down to the times.
rating_4

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Sharon Tate-Recollection
This is not an autobiography,but a picture book with people who met,worked with and knew her-aswell as short sum-ups of the years by her sister Debra Tate.
The book is very beautiful and has alot of nice pictures- but the stories and quotes by people are so oddly picked. Most are qutoes about how she looked,and how good of a body she had which seem to be odd choice,and some of the stories are so out of place and dont go anywhere-alot basically just say they dont know her that much. its not very well put together.
rating_1

Topsy

10-29-16, 07:05 PM

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Jaycee Dugard-A stole Life
Alot of you will probably remember this story of a girl who was rescued after being kidnapped as a child and held as a sexslave.
Jaycee writes from the day she was kidnapped up until writing the book. She writes about what she to endure at the hands of her kidnapper and his wife,the birth of her children,how she got help and trying to deal with freedom afterwards. Not only freedom but being reunited with a family she no longer knows and trying to deal with the everpresent media who took a major interest in her case and hounded her and her children like celebrities.
rating_3_5

MovieMeditation

10-29-16, 09:22 PM

People use the Reading Tab for this - http://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=1405&highlight=reading
*12 reviews later*

Topsy didn't give one single f*ck

Topsy

10-29-16, 09:23 PM

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Topsy

10-30-16, 07:17 PM

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THE COMPANY SHE KEEPS-GEORGIA DURANTE
This is the real story of model Georgia Durantes life.After making it as a model she marries into the mafia and learn their way of life the hard way.Her husbands loving ways soon disappear and she has to endure years of abuse until she tries to get a way.
This book basically has it all love,hate,betrayal,murder,corrupt cops,the mafia,fame and alot of name dropping.
I thought the book was a bit difficult to get into,she was obviously very beautiful but reading her constantly describing herself that way (and she was completely oblivious to it of course) is a bit tiresome.Shes incredibly vain and also makes some of the dumbest decisions-which are difficult to justify. I do think this would make an excellent movie though.
for those who remember the kodiak girl-her claim to fame:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HNWoF1LWlmQ/T9UVtIBbn8I/AAAAAAAABtk/HXlMZP6S2uo/s1600/Georgia+Durante+life-size+poster.jpg

2

CiCi

10-30-16, 07:23 PM

https://global.oup.com/academic/covers/pdp/9780192805355

Had to read this for uni, and I appreciate that although it was written before standardisation, and was one of the first English language novels, it was such a bore. Lord, all the woman talks about is money and linen. For about 250 pages. Then she just talks about stealing candles and accidentally marrying her brother amongst her other many, many marriages that are repetitive and dull. Yeah, it was too archaic for me, and I didn't enjoy it at all.

1.5

Topsy

10-30-16, 07:28 PM

unfortunatly women still spend too much time talking about money and linen :lol:
she married her brother?accidentally?

CiCi

10-30-16, 07:33 PM

unfortunatly women still spend too much time talking about money and linen :lol:
she married her brother?accidentally?

Bare with me on this one :lol:

So when she was a baby, her mother was shipped off to Virginia instead of being executed because she was pregnant with Moll when she was on trail. Many years later, she marries this sailor who owns a plantation in, shock, Virginia, and agrees to live there with him. She meets his mother, and when she starts talking about escaping execution for being pregnant back in Moll's home city when she was a baby, the penny drops!

That was certainly the juiciest part of the whole thing. She's a bit of a bike, Moll, but she never talks about any of her conquests because she sees that as beneath her, so she talks about money and linen instead :lol:

Topsy

10-30-16, 07:43 PM

omg! thats awkward..! does she stay with him?
youre making it sound interesting now :lol:

CiCi

10-30-16, 07:45 PM

omg! thats awkward..! does she stay with him?
youre making it sound interesting now :lol:

Nah, she leaves him and heads back to England :lol:

Topsy

10-30-16, 09:18 PM

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THROUGH THE STORM-LYNNE SPEARS

So this got a lot of attention when it was released and alot of papers published fake drafts from the book.
I didnt read the book at first because it was made out as a tell all book cashing in on her childrens fame and misfortunes.This book does detail the life of Britney and Jamie Lynne but mostly things we already knew,like their childhoods and when they started getting famous-she tells of how she tried to cope when her husband became an alcoholic and all the embarrassment she had to deal with because of it. The interesting part is also obviously what she went through as a mother when Jamie Lynne at 16 became pregnant-and public ridicule.She also writes about Britneys very public breakdown and what went on when she had to hospitalized.Theres a reason why shes still under a conservatorship and his name Sam Lufti (hes still trying to take her to court to cash in on their time together) He constantly drugged her food and told her lies,did things to mess with her-like take her dog and hide it,saying it was dead,then when she broke down went and got it.He also fed her lies about her parents,which ment she eventually cut them out and they were at first refused to see her. she tells of the games they had to play with him just to see her.He also kept the paparazzi close for a paycheck which is why she could never go anywhere. Theres also alot from her childhood,her sisters battle with cancer and her own career. Theres also aloot of religious talk which for someone who is not religious is incredibly annoying.

rating_3_5

Topsy

11-02-16, 06:53 PM

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GO ASK ALICE

Go Ask Alice is my all time favourite book.I used to hate reading when I was younger but stumbled up on this in the school library-Ive been reading it every once and awhile ever since.This is definitly the book that got me into reading-
This is the diary of a young girl who struggles with drug addiction,the unfortunate events that led to it,and the horrible consequences of it.
it draws you in and keeps your attention till the very ending.
5

Topsy

11-25-16, 02:30 PM

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GIRL ON THE TRAIN-PAULA HAWKINS

This is incredibly well written,its engaging and interesting from the get go.
I heard about this because of the movie coming out and decided to read it before I saw it.
It follows a young alcoholic woman who tries to solve a crime shes not sure she knows something about or not.
It has the right amount of twists and turns without it seeming forced or tiring.

The only minus for this is that I had read so many great reviews of it
that the ending and reveals were shocking,so i was a little disappointed when i discovered the killer was the first and only person i suspected.I was expecting some amazing twist at the end that didnt happen and that was a major let down.

The characters are all interesting and relatable,some more flawed than others. If you`re looking for a crime book i suggest you give this a try!
rating_4

Topsy

12-29-16, 07:29 PM

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Maestra- L.S Hilton

Described as thriller of the year on the cover-Im guessing its going to be a series.
The book is about a late 20s girl,who grew up with nothing and has finally got a foot within the glamorous art world she wanted.Some suspicious things are starting to happen and Judith is hell bent on uncovering whatever is going on,and maybe climb the social latter a bit whilst shes at it.

This has actually got a reaally good plot going,there are so many twist and turns and constantely something going on,its very sexually charged-so not for the faint hearted.It doesnt really get going until well into the second half of the book,which is shame...it was a bit of struggle to get there tbh-but im really glad i stuck with it because the last part was really good.The first half however really drags it down-The main character is completely unlikeable,so up herself and completely deluded about herself.Its also an incredibly vain character/book,80% the first half is probably overdone descriptions of clothes and furniture,im scimmed through most of it but that only takes away the joy of reading.Now,i read the NOR version so i have no idea about the original,but the sex scenes are so awkwardly described,its seems to try to be edgy but it just doesnt.work.

two start for the second half.
2

Gatsby

12-29-16, 09:32 PM

I read Dostoyevsky's The Gambler.

It's by far my favorite novel, published in an age where psychological novels were extremely rare. Something about Russian writers make them brilliant. I think it's all the cold weather, bad living conditions etc. The Gambler is great even when compared to modern novels.

5

Gatsby

12-29-16, 09:52 PM

*Novella, not novel. :p

Favorite full-length novel would be Slaughterhouse-Five.

Topsy

12-31-16, 02:15 AM

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THE UNBREAKABLE MISS LOVELY-TONY ORTEGA

This book is about (and helped written by) Paulette Cooper,a journalist who was one of the first to shed a light on the cult that is scientology-and one of the reasons people for so long were afraid to speak out against it.
this story is INSANE. It follows her from her childhood,which she spent in an orphanage after her parents were killed at Auschwitz,to when she wrote the book "The scandal of Scientology" in 1971 and the years of psychological terror,harrassement and cruelty she had to suffer through by the cult. The length they went to is unbelievable and scary-from breaking into peoples homes to steal (and publicly release) peoples diaries,breaking into hospitales for their files,threatening people with guns,tap peoples phones,send spies to befriend them then humiliate them by letting out their secrets..the list goes on and on-and these things arnt even the worst.It follows Paulette as she suffers a mental break down because of it,trying to find her feet again before being knocked down yet again.

For those who watch (you all should give it a try) Leah Remini: Scientology and the aftermath, Paulette made a quick appearance two episodes ago,but it didnt even cover 1/20 of what happened.I knew some of it from before,since i have an interest in the subject,but it turned out to be very little. The fact that the woman is still living and breathing is remarkable.

My only small objection to this book is that it starts out with her childhood then goes on to her fight against scientology-but then in the middle of when its all happening,it starts from the beginning of her childhood again-which was a bit of an anti climax and was really uneeded-it would have been better to lett it follow in order of the years. But apart from that,this is a really interesting,heartbreaking and unfortunately true story.

rating_4_5

Topsy

12-31-16, 02:16 AM

*Novella, not novel. :p

Favorite full-length novel would be Slaughterhouse-Five.

Is that a horror book? sounds interesting by name :lol:

Gatsby

12-31-16, 03:16 AM

Is that a horror book? sounds interesting by name :lol:
No, it's actually a satirical novel that weaves together elements of sci-fi and anti-war themes. Very humorous too. The author, Kurt Vonnegut, has written a lot of other great novels so check them out as well.

Topsy

12-31-16, 03:33 AM

thank you,i will..i just finished both books i got for christmas so im looking for something new :D
I usually finish books the same day i get them which is really annoying,because books are really f@£$ expensive over here.

Swan

01-01-17, 11:01 PM

Second Gatsby's rec of Slaughterhouse-Five. Great book. :)

Ultraviolence

03-22-17, 02:44 PM

http://estantedasala.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/imagem-violencia.jpg
rating_5

It's a brazilian book, in english it's something like "Image-Violence: Ethnography of a provocative cinema"
A great study about violence in films!
It takes great movies like Reservoir Dogs/Pulp Fiction, Tarantino - Lost Highway, David Lynch - Funny Games, Michael Haneke and Natural Born Killers, Oliver Stone and makes an in-depth study of how directors manipulate us with violence in many ways.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91N4PkMsq2L.jpg
rating_5
Not exactly a book (it's a COMIC book) but it's Neil Gaiman! This is EPIC! :eek:

Dani8

03-22-17, 02:50 PM

matt72582

05-06-17, 12:29 PM

I'm almost done.... I waited 3 years for this.

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ2n0BQW2_0uLPYFt9xZZF9JnDixOZOLZMy4k5E7FygEFRj85Ez

akatemple

05-10-17, 05:47 AM

Was not sure where to post this but I have been reading the same books over and over again and now that I have a few extra bucks I wanna get a couple new books but have no idea what to read.

I am wanting to ask if there is any book something like the movie Cube or a 1 room type of thing (Exam etc...). Hopefully someone out there will know a book to recommend to me.............. all recommendations welcome!

matt72582

05-10-17, 11:05 AM

I'm almost done.... I waited 3 years for this.

http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ2n0BQW2_0uLPYFt9xZZF9JnDixOZOLZMy4k5E7FygEFRj85Ez

9/10 -- I would have liked a little more personal or domestic information.. Pet peeves, everyday stuff.. There was a lot of great things in older newspapers, hilarious quotes by Mort that would have fit perfect in many chapters.

Stirchley

05-12-17, 10:14 PM

I havent read that. Will put it on my list. I love Dostoevsky.

Believe it or not, Mark Wahlberg is terrific in The Gambler (https://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/The-Gambler/80017111?strackid=73b477b9258c6550_1_acomplete)

Stirchley

06-02-17, 09:36 PM

31047

Just finished. Terrific book.

Stirchley

07-05-17, 02:29 PM

32264

Reading this Japanese book now. Enjoying it. In translation of course.

HashtagBrownies

07-09-17, 09:13 AM

[FONT=Century Gothic]http://estantedasala.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/imagem-violencia.jpg
rating_5

It's a brazilian book, in english it's something like "Image-Violence: Ethnography of a provocative cinema"
A great study about violence in films!
It takes great movies like Reservoir Dogs/Pulp Fiction, Tarantino - Lost Highway, David Lynch - Funny Games, Michael Haneke and Natural Born Killers, Oliver Stone and makes an in-depth study of how directors manipulate us with violence in many ways.

Look like I'll have to check that out.

HashtagBrownies

07-09-17, 09:17 AM

32445

8/10

violet1

07-19-17, 03:35 PM

Currently reading D.H.Lawrence's Lady Chatterley's Lover (https://noveltrove.com/D.H.Lawrence/home) (freely available - copyright has expired). It's a well written book, by one of the best authors of its time. For anyone who doesn't know, first published in 1932 it was banned for decades in several countries for alleged obscenity. It's eventual publication in the 1960's helped shape the then upcoming sexual revolution. The 'smut' in it is not spectacular compared to today's erotic fiction, but for me it's a must read, if only for its historical significance.

Stirchley

07-19-17, 04:16 PM

I'm reading this now & enjoying it.

32730

Shaharyaar

07-20-17, 02:28 AM

40 rules of Love and i would rate it 4.2 out of 5

delage

08-31-17, 05:14 PM

Psycho by Robert Bloch. A very quick read, but it's hard to imagine such a good movie came out of these pages. It's strange because, uncharacteristically of Hitchcock, the film follows the book pretty close, but the very superficial characters and average writing definitely wind it down. The only plus is seeing Norman's dialogs with her mother, which are obviously less worked on in the film, but even then it feels like a pure cliché of what a mentally ill person would think at the time.

I was hoping it would be as groundbreaking as the film but even taken on its own it's certainly not great literature. But it is thankfully short and easy to read.

Stirchley

09-04-17, 05:14 PM

34377

Excellent book.

Stirchley

09-08-17, 08:16 PM

34644

Another very good read.

Ms. M

09-10-17, 04:10 PM

https://tezeusz.pl/static/product_image/33/337718_big.jpg?ver=01
I've just read few paiges. Great language, but plot... not so fascinating.

Stirchley

09-15-17, 07:09 PM

34963

Not a bad book by any means, but very ordinary considering Perrotta wrote The Leftovers.

Camo

09-16-17, 02:13 AM

Rabbit Run (John Updike) 2+

Pretty much what i said in the other thread about it, really well written but i can't stand Rabbit in a i don't want to read about this guy way. Won't be reading any more of this series but i'm interested in more from Updike.

The Crying of Lot 39 (Thomas Pynchon) 3

My first Pynchon book. Difficult to rate as i really didn't like his writing at first but it grew on me. It was really short so i'd say a good start and i'm up for trying more from him now i'm used to his writing.

Ghost Story (Peter Straub) 3.5 -

This was about as good as a ghost story novel can be for me in 2017. Think short stories work much better now as i inevitably got bored in places since there's only so much originality you can bring to a ghost story.

Reading Blood Meridian right now, about halfway through and loving it; only read The Road by McCarthy which was a mixed bag for me.

Also after watching The Gospel According To St. Matthew the other day i bought this - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Historicity-Jesus-Might-Reason-Doubt/dp/1909697494

That's a Christ Myth Theory book apparently one of the most important as the author is supposed to be influential in that field, after i'm done with it i'm planning on reading one from the opposite side: someone who believes the Historical Jesus existed not necessarily the divine one. For the record even though i'm no longer religious i do lean towards a Historical Jesus existing, i just want to see the full picture as i'm interested in it right now.

Stirchley

09-27-17, 06:27 PM

35607

35608

Two memoirs from the same author. Enjoyed both.

Stirchley

09-29-17, 04:15 PM

35740

Excellent book.

Stirchley

10-09-17, 05:21 PM

36269

Good book.

Stirchley

10-11-17, 05:39 PM

36352

Strange book. Enjoyed it so much I am re-reading it.

Stirchley

11-01-17, 07:54 PM

37347

Re-read this. Good book.

Stirchley

11-06-17, 03:30 PM

37623

Good book.

Stirchley

11-13-17, 03:59 PM

37894

Good book.

Des

11-14-17, 07:27 AM

I don't know what the point would be to rate it. For me to read it, I would really have to like it.
Although topic driven, if I don't like the writing style, I'll drop it in a flash, but if I like it, then I will read near everything the author ever wrote.
Such is the case of James Lee Burke and his book I am reading now:

37961

Stirchley

11-15-17, 01:58 PM

37994

Prolix in the extreme, but I managed to finish it.

SeeingisBelieving

11-17-17, 05:19 PM

Ms. M

11-17-17, 05:23 PM

SeeingisBelieving

11-17-17, 05:25 PM

Have You read some Dahl's books.? I really enjoyed them:)

Oh yeah, when I was growing up :).

Ms. M

11-17-17, 05:29 PM

Oh yeah, when I was growing up :).
I have been adult already and I felt in love with his stories:)

SeeingisBelieving

11-17-17, 05:35 PM

I have been adult already and I felt in love with his stories:)

Actually the film and TV adaptations are probably fresher in my mind now. I've just been thinking about Rik Mayall doing George's Marvellous Medicine – bizarrely controversial at the time – as well as the more obscure film of Danny, the Champion of the World.

Ms. M

11-18-17, 05:19 AM

Actually the film and TV adaptations are probably fresher in my mind now. I've just been thinking about Rik Mayall doing George's Marvellous Medicine – bizarrely controversial at the time – as well as the more obscure film of Danny, the Champion of the World.
Dahl isn't too popular in Poland. Only thanks to movies such as Charlie and chocolate factory or Matilda children have opportunity to know Dahl's books. it's too bad, coz he was an extraordinary writer.

SeeingisBelieving

11-18-17, 08:05 AM

Dahl isn't too popular in Poland.

That's surprising – what are the most well-received things over there?

Only thanks to movies such as Charlie and chocolate factory or Matilda children have opportunity to know Dahl's books. it's too bad, coz he was an extraordinary writer.

The Witches is great as well. They could stand to make a new version of that story I think.

matt72582

11-18-17, 10:01 AM

http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRuvb3SO8WBcKwiyV5cKgI0saC22qtpkpRoR7FWeEwmZ2II9IZr

8/10

Ms. M

11-18-17, 10:02 AM

That's surprising – what are the most well-received things over there? [quote]

Harry Potter. Harry Potter is the most well-received in whole wrold I guess.

[quote=SeeingisBelieving;1825509]
They could stand to make a new version of that story I think.
That's true, but prefer the book. The movie has changed ending. When I'm reading The Witches I always cry in the end.

SeeingisBelieving

11-18-17, 01:56 PM

[quote=SeeingisBelieving;1825509]That's surprising – what are the most well-received things over there? [quote]

Harry Potter. Harry Potter is the most well-received in whole wrold I guess.

Yes I imagine so :).

That's true, but prefer the book. The movie has changed ending. When I'm reading The Witches I always cry in the end.

Oh yes, that's right. He keeps a lot of darkness around, it's not always comfortable :p.

Camo

11-18-17, 02:08 PM

When I'm reading The Witches I always cry in the end.

This is one of the best books. It absolutely holds up as an adult as well while some of Dahl's other books don't, Fantastic Mr Fox for example which was my favourite as a child.

Really love the film too, should watch that again at some point.

Ms. M

11-18-17, 03:40 PM

Oh yes, that's right. He keeps a lot of darkness around, it's not always comfortable :p.

Yep, that's true. Dahl's books aren't sticky.

This is one of the best books. It absolutely holds up as an adult as well while some of Dahl's other books don't, Fantastic Mr Fox for example which was my favourite as a child.

Really love the film too, should watch that again at some point.

I wrote this before in another thread, but I ran away from cinema when I was a child, when Anjelica Huston took of the mask and the wig:laugh:

SeeingisBelieving

11-18-17, 03:54 PM

I wrote this before in another thread, but I ran away from cinema when I was a child, when Anjelica Huston took of the mask and the wig:laugh:

She was fantastic wasn't she? Mai Zetterling too.

Ms. M

11-18-17, 04:06 PM

She was fantastic wasn't she? Mai Zetterling too.
She was embodiment everything what is frightening for children:D
Both were great:yup: Good and bad witches.

Stirchley

11-20-17, 09:17 PM

38277

Excellent dystopian book. Would make a great movie.

SeeingisBelieving

11-21-17, 07:29 AM

I'm in the middle of reading Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories and really enjoying it. It's an anthology of tales chosen by Dahl but not including his own work. As you'd expect he really knows his stuff :p.

These are the stories I've read so far, with ratings:

W. S. by L. P. Hartley — 5/10
Harry by Rosemary Timperley — 8/10
The Corner Shop by Cynthia Asquith — 6/10
In the Tube by E. F. Benson — 6/10
Christmas Meeting by Rosemary Timperley — 5/10
Elias and the Draug by Jonas Lie — 6/10

A few more ratings of stories from this collection. I'm in the doldrums at the moment as the last two were nowhere near as good, so I can see why they were put in the middle. The first however is the best one so far:

Playmates by A. M. Burrage — 9/10
Ringing the Changes by Robert Aickman — 2/10
The Telephone by Mary Treadgold — 4/10

SeeingisBelieving

11-23-17, 03:47 PM

A couple more from Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories. Things have certainly picked up, especially with another A. M. Burrage story. I'm definitely going to be seeking out more of his work because he is the man :eek:.

The Sweeper by A. M. Burrage — 8/10
On the Brighton Road by Richard Middleton — 5/10

anton

11-23-17, 04:26 PM

Ms. M

11-23-17, 04:44 PM

Here's the latest book (?) I've read:

https://image.slidesharecdn.com/asterixandthegoths-090903201446-phpapp02/95/asterix-and-the-goths-1-728.jpg?cb=1252008940

My rate: 6/10

A pretty boring and predictable story. I've borrowed that book from my English teacher. That has at least been the opportunity for me to learn English words I didn't know.
I wasn't aware that Goscinny wrote Asterix. The same guy who wrote Le Petit Nicolas:
http://www.petitnicolas.com/images/files/pn_home.jpg
This one is read by students in primary schools in Poland obligatorily.

Stirchley

11-24-17, 07:33 PM

38444

Good book.

anton

11-25-17, 12:36 PM

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/5182%2Bje1bdL._SX316_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

That book in English (I'm French) is an American friend's present. She's a "past life regressionist" (but not only). I usually see her once a year in Paris.

I don't quite agree with the conceptS of reincarnation. They only partially inspire me a bit. I try not to anthropomorphize too much (unlike many people into reincarnation, in my opinion).

My American friend knows my own view on reincarnation and she knew I would enjoy reading that book.
To make it simple: to me, it does not really matter whether a "past life memory" is related to something that really happened or not. To me, what matters the most is how those surfacing informations help heal/fix our present life.
For example, I don't care about someone claiming they were a now-deceased POTUS. But I'm interested in how their reincarnation exploration has helped them heal/fix their present life.

Also, I enjoy reading that English (I'm French): a good level of English. I practice while reading, I learn new words without being blocked too often while reading. That influences much my rating, which I find really hard to define - but you get the idea :)

SeeingisBelieving

11-26-17, 01:50 PM

I'm in the middle of reading Roald Dahl's Book of Ghost Stories and really enjoying it. It's an anthology of tales chosen by Dahl but not including his own work. As you'd expect he really knows his stuff :p.

I've just finished the book and here is the complete list of stories with ratings:

W. S. by L. P. Hartley — 5/10
Harry by Rosemary Timperley — 8/10
The Corner Shop by Cynthia Asquith — 6/10
In the Tube by E. F. Benson — 6/10
Christmas Meeting by Rosemary Timperley — 5/10
Elias and the Draug by Jonas Lie — 6/10
Playmates by A. M. Burrage — 9/10
Ringing the Changes by Robert Aickman — 2/10
The Telephone by Mary Treadgold — 4/10
The Ghost of a Hand by J. Sheridan Le Fanu — 6/10
The Sweeper by A. M. Burrage — 8/10
Afterward by Edith Wharton — 3/10
On the Brighton Road by Richard Middleton — 5/10
The Upper Berth by F. Marion Crawford — 4/10

Stirchley

11-29-17, 05:24 PM

38616

Very good book.

SeeingisBelieving

12-02-17, 06:09 PM

resopamenic

12-04-17, 02:09 PM

The Fall by albert camus
https://images.genius.com/39e685c55880f4038959e7cba77bf941.324x324x1.jpg
Unique reading. Idk probably 4/5 sort of

Sleezy

12-04-17, 02:19 PM

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

My first foray into Poirot's world, and it won't be the last. Expect a delightful classic mystery that's equal parts snappy and clever. 4_5

Currently reading: The Ghost of the Mary Celeste by Valerie Martin

SeeingisBelieving

12-04-17, 02:23 PM

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

My first foray into Poirot's world, and it won't be the last. Expect a delightful classic mystery that's equal parts snappy and clever. rating_4_5

Currently reading: The Ghost of the Mary Celeste by Valerie Martin

Hercule Poirot's Christmas is the only one I've read and that was quite good.

Sedai

12-04-17, 04:45 PM

Line War - Neal Asher
4

http://luxuryreading.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/line-war.jpg

Final book in the Agent Cormac series of science fiction books. Excellent end to an excellent series.

Next up...

The Discoverers : A History of Man's Search to Know Himself - Daniel Boorstin

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7386/11118191743_3243a88a0c_b.jpg

Stirchley

12-04-17, 05:29 PM

38819

Good book

lenslady

12-05-17, 02:57 PM

Stirchley

12-06-17, 04:32 PM

I read a few reviews about this book and it is beautifully written, beautifully wrought Quite a serious story, but I think we ll see more fine works from this writer (new to me) May I ask how you choose your books?
. I d like to read it sometime, based on your suggestion, but no time in the holiday season. Probably after the new year. Of course I could find more time in this busy season , perhaps, if I gave up nattering and chattering on this site..........nawwwwwww......too much fun.

I choose my books based on reviews in The New Yorker & The New York Times. I read them on my Kindle app & I buy them from amazon.com. If I don’t like the book, I can get a refund within 7 days. So all the books I have listed here are excellent as I very quickly return a book that is not good.

SeeingisBelieving

12-11-17, 02:58 PM

Tom Baker Reads A Christmas Carol (Audiobook) – 9/10

Probably the fifth year in a row that this has been a staple listen for me. Tom Baker's versatile performance is special enough but the sound design and music subtly supports him and builds up the atmosphere, being festive, emotive and eerie.

SeeingisBelieving

12-15-17, 03:46 PM

Camo

12-15-17, 05:04 PM

Stalin: Volume I: Paradoxes of Power, 1878–1928

Great book if you're interested in Soviet History. It didn't get a full score because i feel a Lenin or Trotsky book during this period would be alot better as their role then was alot more interesting, it obviously focused on them alot but it focused alot on Stalin pre-power too. Volume 2 should be amazing though as that's 1929-1941 the post Bolshiveik purges through to going to war with Hitler. It only came out this year going to buy it soon.

4

The First Family: Terror, Extortion and the Birth of the American Mafia

About early New York Mafia Families which would evolve into the ones we know today. Solid book, it's well written for a mafia book and has some good stories. I know that a fair amount of it has been debunked now though, for example it says Ignazio Lupo was Underboss to Giuseppe Morello who was boss of the gang that would become known as the Genovese Crime Family. It has since came out that Lupo was boss of his own gang that would eventually become the Gambino Crime Family, also the gang Morello led while it had deep connections to what became the Genovese Family wasn't really the same thing. Morello headed a New York based Crime Family made solely of members from Corleone, Sicily, around five years after Morello was imprisoned his gang was taken over by other Corleonesi and when he was released in 1920 he started a war against them. The war would be resolved in 1922 and Morello would join a new family as Underboss led by Italian born but American raised Joseph Masseria, Masseria lead the first truly Americanized Family making people from all over Italy members as well as American born people as long as their parents where Italian, up to that point the families had largely been from one area in New York. The (using later names for the Crime Families) the Gambino's were from Palermo City, The Bonanno's from Castellammare Del Golfo and the Lucchese's who split off from Morello's group around 1920 would largely be his gangs successors from Corleone. The rest of the families would start to follow suit from Masseria leading to the whole New York Mafia being Americanized and larger than most other families in the country since you didn't have to be from a certain place in Sicily to join a family as long as your family was Italian.

Anyway, it's a good starting place and i would have loved this five or so years ago. There's stiil alot of great information in this book, new information has came out that changes the situation depicted here though so i doubt i'll be returning to it.

3.5

HashtagBrownies

12-16-17, 01:49 PM

39287

Great little play. Has some interesting ideas. The comedic dialogue and back-and-forth is interesting, but I think it would translate better to the stage.

4

Ms. M

12-17-17, 03:52 PM

Have You seen Eugene?
I like his poem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_e-TUhRbrI

Mr Minio

12-17-17, 04:02 PM

I like you

Stirchley

12-22-17, 01:40 PM

39422

Interesting book.

SeeingisBelieving

12-22-17, 05:47 PM

Started another anthology book this week, Murder Under the Christmas Tree.

Getting towards the end now, with only two more to go. The last two rated as follows:

Death on the Air by Ngaio Marsh — 7.5/10
Persons or Things Unknown by Carter Dickson — 4.5/10

resopamenic

12-23-17, 03:46 AM

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41HgC5o0%2B6L._SL1500_.jpg
The translation version i found quiet let down sometimes but still a really good reading.

MovieGal

12-25-17, 10:12 PM

The Hunted
(2017, Meagan Spooner)
4/5

A different retelling of Beauty and the Beast

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/50f5ed81e4b03b1abd074467/t/58ed5d15bebafb4f31100fa9/1491951080041/Hunted+by+Megan+Spooner-20170317.jpg

Stirchley

01-01-18, 04:18 PM

39834

Good book

re93animator

01-03-18, 08:43 AM

The Day of the Locust - Nathanael West - 8/10
The story is intriguing enough if you’re in to Hollywood sleaze, though it’s focused less on general H-wood, and more on a small cast of lower tier aspirants. Apart from Homer, the characters are all shades of despicable too. I loved the ultra high-strung dwarf though. His intro was one of the funniest things I’ve read in a while. The often metaphorical writing holds a lot of power; easy to see why it’s revered.

Stirchley

01-03-18, 05:13 PM

39903

Good book though I’m not entirely sure I understood the storyline.

Thursday Next

01-03-18, 05:46 PM

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51ctIcXkkmL._SX326_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

3-

I need to stop reading YA books that get overhyped on goodreads. They are invariably underwhelming.

Ms. M

01-04-18, 12:13 PM

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/515C1ZDS67L._SX306_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
I've never been to Ireland. Is that true?:eek: the samoan lawyer, what would You say?
39947

the samoan lawyer

01-04-18, 12:46 PM

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/515C1ZDS67L._SX306_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
I've never been to Ireland. Is that true?:eek: @the samoan lawyer (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=73754), what would You say?
https://www.movieforums.com/community/attachment.php?attachmentid=39947

Strange piece of writing! Of course in Ireland we drive cars. We use stock market. Have Japanese food and McDonalds. Not sure about the bad American movies part? Doesn't every country? Millionaires, yes. Tax breaks, probably. Never heard of Paddywood but yes some great films are emerging from here but surely that's a good thing? I find it much much safer here in Ireland than almost anywhere I have been. This country is just like any other in that it has its more notorious areas but so what?
There are parts that the cow is the unit of exchange too ;)
Caught me at a bad time as Im heading home from work so I cant even mention the good parts.

It does however always rain :(

This is the best country in the world Ms. M. Come over and see for yourself. Ask Cat too!

You'll never beat the Irish.

Ms. M

01-04-18, 04:28 PM

There are parts that the cow is the unit of exchange too ;)
Caught me at a bad time as Im heading home from work so I cant even mention the good parts.

It does however always rain :(

This is the best country in the world Ms. M. Come over and see for yourself. Ask Cat too!

You'll never beat the Irish.
It's kind of old comedy book. I was hoping You find it funny. I choose it coz it's in English:D
Its make fun rather of tourists who had romantic idea of Ireland and expected to see dunkey after leaving Irish airport. It'only a joke;)

Yeah, as far as I remember Cat was delighted. I hope I also visit Your country someday:)

the samoan lawyer

01-05-18, 05:18 AM

It's kind of old comedy book. I was hoping You find it funny. I choose it coz it's in English:D
Its make fun rather of tourists who had romantic idea of Ireland and expected to see dunkey after leaving Irish airport. It'only a joke;)

Yeah, as far as I remember Cat was delighted. I hope I also visit Your country someday:)

Yeah Ms. M, make sure you do visit and make sure you let me know when! :)

Ms. M

01-05-18, 07:05 AM

Yeah Ms. M, make sure you do visit and make sure you let me know when! :)

I will and... I will. In both cases.
Thanks Samoan:)

Stirchley

01-12-18, 02:38 PM

40231

Somewhat of a rehash of what we've already read about Diana, but I enjoyed it. What a sad lonely life she led despite all the trappings of wealth & beauty.

Stirchley

01-15-18, 04:07 PM

40346

Not at all sure I understood the plot, but a good read.

Stirchley

01-17-18, 04:45 PM

40446

Excellent book. Set in the North of England, but would translate well to rural America. Would make an excellent movie.

Stirchley

01-31-18, 09:51 PM

41001

Good book. Horrible what this young girl suffered.

Stirchley

02-07-18, 05:11 PM

41349

Good book

SeeingisBelieving

02-07-18, 05:27 PM

Started another anthology book this week, Murder Under the Christmas Tree.

My ratings for the first three short stories:

The Necklace of Pearls by Dorothy L. Sayers — 6.5/10
The Name on the Window by Edmund Crispin — 6.5/10
A Traditional Christmas by Val McDermid — 6/10

Some more from this book:

The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle by Arthur Conan Doyle — 8/10
The Invisible Man by G. K. Chesterton — 6/10
Cinders by Ian Rankin — 4/10

Getting towards the end now, with only two more to go. The last two rated as follows:

Death on the Air by Ngaio Marsh — 7.5/10
Persons or Things Unknown by Carter Dickson — 4.5/10

Ratings for the last two stories in this collection:

The Case is Altered by Margery Allingham — 6/10
The Price of Light by Ellis Peters – 7.5/10

Stirchley

02-16-18, 03:11 PM

41813

Helluva good debut novel. Dark, violent, father-daughter incest. All told in a very beautiful poetical way.

TYTD

02-16-18, 08:01 PM

https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61GzzhZN-YL._SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_.jpg

8 outta 10! if you know his backstory this is a hilarious little read :)

Stirchley

02-21-18, 05:39 PM

None of these books resonated with me. Returned them all for a refund.

42062
42063
42064

Astrid Pike

02-26-18, 07:58 AM

Hello. The last book I have read, was online. The novel’s title is My Teenage Nightmare by Badboys4life and it is available on Wattpad. It was a pretty good one, the plot was nice, but it was a bit similar to the first book, named Married To My Teacher. I can give it 8/10. Bye!

Stirchley

02-26-18, 05:10 PM

42270

Good book.

SeeingisBelieving

02-28-18, 09:04 AM

Just started with another anthology, Great Horror Stories. I'm reading the tales at random and yesterday went with The Red Room by H. G. Wells. Very good, well-written and scary — 7.5/10.

SeeingisBelieving

03-01-18, 10:08 AM

Just started with another anthology, Great Horror Stories. I'm reading the tales at random and yesterday went with The Red Room by H. G. Wells. Very good, well-written and scary — 7.5/10.

I'll try and read a good few more before posting again but I've just finished The New Sun by J. S. Fletcher. Actually science fiction horror, which was unexpected and welcome. The story is terrifying but tempered slightly by the upper middle class characters and their approach to the threat. Very reminiscent of Arthur Conan Doyle's Professor Challenger tales — 7/10.

Hey Fredrick

03-05-18, 09:14 AM

Finished 2 this weekend:
https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F517BQft9MIL._SY445_QL70_.jpg&f=1

Just like movies, I love horror. This one is nothing too original. It's kind of like a sadistic Big Brother. A group of folks volunteer to be placed in a house together for the opportunity to win 1-2 million pounds. Every volunteer has a shady (criminal) past and are forced into competitions (to the death) with each other until only 2 are two left at which time they can either split the 2 million or do one final competition for a winner takes all. Its a fast read, I liked it, it's got some pretty gory stuff, but it's nothing special.

https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fcovers3.booksamillion.com%2Fcovers%2Fbam%2F1%2F62%2F967%2F054%2F1629670545.jpg&f=1

Never read a war biography before. I've seen enough war films but I never saw one about a chopper pilot. Probably why I picked this one. It follows Mark from flight school through his one year tour in Vietnam. It doesn't dwell too much on the politics of the war, although it is discussed from the view of the pilots, but more on the day to day of the Crocs (gunship pilots) - their missions, down time and life in the barracks. If war stories are your thing you could do worse.

Stirchley

03-05-18, 05:09 PM

42564

Excellent book.

I. Rex

03-05-18, 05:39 PM

41813

Looking forward to this one becoming a movie.

Stirchley

03-05-18, 06:56 PM

Looking forward to this one becoming a movie.

Did you read this book?

Ultraviolence

03-06-18, 09:30 AM

Harlequin (AKA The Archer’s Tale) by Bernard Cornwell - The first of the Grail Quest trilogy.
http://www.vortexcultural.com.br/images/2011/02/o-arqueiro.jpg
★★★★

I. Rex

03-06-18, 10:52 AM

Did you read this book?

Yes. I fell for the hype and it didnt disappoint. Was quite riveting. Quite intense.Hard to believe its his first book.

SeeingisBelieving

03-06-18, 05:15 PM

Three more from Great Horror Stories:

The Frontier Guards by H. Russell Wakefield – 5/10
Brief and okay but a little confusing at the end.

To Be Taken With a Grain of Salt by Charles Dickens – 3/10
Couldn't get into this one at all. Maybe it was because it was last thing and I was a bit drowsy but it was as if it went nowhere.

The Avenging Chance by Anthony Berkeley – 8/10
This was more like it :). Very witty and with some clever twists and turns.

lenslady

03-07-18, 12:39 AM

42564

Excellent book.

I just took this book out from the library, based on your recommendation

Stirchley

03-09-18, 02:28 PM

42666

I read this book last year & it’s excellent. A very sexy novel set in the restaurant world of Manhattan. And now they have made a movie out of it! Starz will air it next month as a mini-series, I think. Tom Sturridge is playing the lead male, which I don’t see at all as he has a very weird vibe.

Stirchley

03-12-18, 03:57 PM

42757

Didn’t like this book & returned it for a refund.

42758

Not bad. Could have lived without reading it. Would not recommend it to anyone.

42759

Good book. Interesting plot.

Stirchley

03-16-18, 02:27 PM

Returned all these for a refund. Didn’t like any of them.

42919
42920
42921

Hey Fredrick

03-18-18, 11:19 AM

https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-na.ssl-images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51jihRiWgFL._SY346_.jpg&f=1

Never been into the legal thriller genre, pretty sure this is the first one I've read, and it was pretty good. Second half really picks up with the trial.

Out of curiosity, how many pages do you give a book before you decide this isn't working and shelve it or do you just power through anything you start? I'm wondering because I just started American Psycho and it isn't grabbing me yet (about 100 pages in). Normally with a book of this length I'd be done with it but with this being such an acclaimed novel I'm going to give it a little more leeway.

lenslady

03-18-18, 01:32 PM

Hey Fredrick
I usually do enjoy legal thrillers (and mysteries in general) . Two authors who are write good ones, that are often made into equally as good movies, are John Grisham and Scott Turow, who are both lawyers btw.

Good question about sticking with a book! I usually give it 50-100 pages. Then I either give up, or set it aside to come back to when I m in a different mind frame. Often I will thumb ahead -yes, even to the end! to see if I want to go further. Usually, however, my first impression is right for me.

On reflection, when I was younger and studious, that is still in school or no more than 5years or so after school; I diligently finished every book I started.
Now, if I don't like it, I dump it,

Stirchley

03-19-18, 04:25 PM

Hey Fredrick Amazon Kindle gives 7 days to get a refund on an ebook so I make my decision within that time. Some books I immediately hate, but I have been halfway through some books before bailing out.

Stirchley

03-21-18, 05:47 PM

43068

Almost bailed out of this book as it is rather incredible, but did finish it. Very well written. Apparently, it’s gonna be a movie & I anticipate that the movie may be better than the actual book. Depending on director & casting.

Stirchley

03-26-18, 04:12 PM

43202

Got at least halfway through this book, but then it began to make no sense. Returned it for a refund.

GrantD2

03-29-18, 11:47 AM

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Z90pn06SL._SX323_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

A LOT more detailed than the documentary.

Rating: 4.25/5

Been working on IT for a while now...hoping to finish it somewhat soon.

Ultraviolence

03-29-18, 04:56 PM

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/c3/fe/8a/c3fe8adaacda307dca5a03a72bb97448.jpg
★ ★ ★ ★ ½
Great!

Stirchley

04-02-18, 04:43 PM

43414

Good book

Stirchley

04-09-18, 04:52 PM

43591

Excellent book.

Ms. M

04-10-18, 01:16 PM

Excellent book.
Interesting title.

Stirchley

04-11-18, 04:40 PM

Interesting title.

You might like it. British author. Very European.

pahaK

04-17-18, 08:49 AM

The Terror by Dan Simmons

Wanted to read this before watching the series. I feel the book would have benefited from some serious editing - especially the long listings of who was alive and who was dead were really boring (and the updated lists were repeated multiple times during the book). There were interesting moments but narration was either skipping on fast-forward or dragging on meaningless detail. Despite of not being very good book it kind of raised my expectations for the series because the story is certainly there if only someone could tell it right. 3-/5

Stirchley

04-18-18, 03:26 PM

43813

Excellent book

Stirchley

04-20-18, 03:18 PM

43843

Very interesting sad book about refugees who wash ashore (literally) on the island of Lampedusa, which is between the coast of Africa & Sicily. Fire at Sea is an excellent documentary on the same subject.

pahaK

04-21-18, 04:35 PM

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

I thought the movie was rather mediocre but decided to give the book a chance. As usual the book is very different from the film basically sharing only the basic idea of Area X. Book is also quite boring, just in a different way than the movie. Despite of this I'll continue to second part of the trilogy next.

2/5

Stirchley

04-23-18, 02:21 PM

43914

Did not like this book. Yet another Marine memoir. Returned it for a refund.

Stirchley

04-27-18, 03:02 PM

44038

Extremely interesting memoir from Jane Hawking, the former wife of Stephen Hawking. Lord, what this woman had to put up with until Stephen summarily left her for his nurse. A very strong woman who, many times, lived in unbearable circumstances whilst raising 3 children.

pahaK

04-29-18, 04:26 PM

Authority by Jeff VanderMeer

Despite majority of reviews saying the opposite I actually liked this more than Annihilation. The first book was mostly pointless and meaningless wandering through Area X while the sequel was more about attempting to understand Area X. Lots of questions are still unanswered but Authority is an attempt at something coherent and resembles actual sci-fi unlike Annihilation that was closer to fantasy. Will continue to last book next.

3+/5

Stirchley

04-30-18, 12:57 PM

44119

Readers are creaming themselves over this Italian anonymous author’s 4 volumes of Neapolitan memoirs. I hated the very 1st chapter of book 1 & returned it for a refund.

Gangland

04-30-18, 02:42 PM

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71%2BMvJdw6JL.jpg

This was a good, short, read, but very repetitive. You can tell the author(s) didn't have alot of source information to draw from and I found the book reused alot of information/conclusions throughout several different chapters. But it's a book that needed to be written none the less. Right now, I picked up the "Godfather" of Mafia revisionist history, Joseph L. Albini's, Deconstructing Organized Crime: An Historical and Theoretical Study. I also usually read a fiction/history book at the same time, so I also picked up James Ellroy's White Jazz.

Stirchley

05-07-18, 02:37 PM

44279

Terrific book.

chawhee

05-07-18, 06:37 PM

Taking Flight
Michael Edmonds

I'm wanting to take a little more interest in birdwatching, and I thought this book would be an interesting look into the history behind it. The author spends the majority of the book elaborating on how ancient peoples used birds for symbolic and spiritual reasons. A lot different than I expected, which probably led to my dissatisfaction with it.

2/5

lenslady

05-09-18, 07:30 AM

Hi there chawhee. I may be able to recommend two books I have inadvertently acquired. I say inadvertently, because I recently took a private oath not to bring anymore books, magazines, brochures, etc. into my home to overload my quite overburdened bookshelves! Well I just broke that oath when a very earnest local environmental organization had a book sale to help support their efforts to save and maintain local natural areas. Sigh. How could I turn away? 🙄At any rate, I am a nature loving, tree hugger lol and have in the last couple of years become more interested in birds. Since I frequent the woodland paths and ponds near me, I always see and hear them. So two of these books that I have recently adopted may be of interest to you- they are older editions - but I'm sure you can find them online, or in the library.

1- The Life of Birds - David Attenborough. A thick tome I have just started skimming through; lots of info on behavior ( which I'm more interested in than just naming or counting species).

2- Birds -the Little Giudes series - consultant editor Joseph M. Forshaw- I'd give this a 5 out of 5 rating, even though it's similar to those pocketbook Audubon bird books. Too big to be a pocketbook, but small and handy enough to frequently consult. Has lots of interesting facts - for instance, insect eating birds are often foraging together, for efficiency and to thwart predators. Other birds are loners, except during breeding season.

Both books have an ample amount of good pictures. Enjoy!

lenslady

05-09-18, 07:37 AM

PS - Typo - Birds is from the Little Guides series. Published by
Fog City Press
814 Montgomery Street
San Francisco, Ca. 94133 reprinted 2003

UpgradeYourDad

05-10-18, 04:01 PM

pahaK

05-10-18, 04:30 PM

This is on muni to read list. I loved the movie and from what I hear about the book, it digs into a lot of what I loved in the movie.

I'm still reading the last book but I can say this: I don't agree with the decision to split the story into three books. First book is nothing more than extended introduction and last two books are just the main story split into half. As a part of the whole Annihilation works better than 2/5 I gave it. It's mandatory for the story but slightly too long.

Books are definitely better than the movie, in my opinion, unless something drastically stupid happens in the end. I though the film was like long Twilight Zone episode (which may be good thing for some).

Hey Fredrick

05-11-18, 10:37 AM

https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimg1.od-cdn.com%2FImageType-400%2F1219-1%2FBCF%2F1D6%2FB6%2F%7BBCF1D6B6-D217-4514-843F-23833A7E6A17%7DImg400.jpg&f=1

My intro to Ketchum. Always wanted to read something from him but never did until now. This was good but I did have to put it down a couple of times. It's brutal/gut wrenching stuff.

Then finished this one pretty quick (I couldn't put it down) and it immediately jumps to one of my favorites:
https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_nk14hw_coBQ%2FSwN-__NqArI%2FAAAAAAAAA50%2FDKR5I8fkT4I%2Fs1600%2Fcall-of-the-wild.jpg&f=1

Stirchley

05-11-18, 03:32 PM

https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fimg1.od-cdn.com%2FImageType-400%2F1219-1%2FBCF%2F1D6%2FB6%2F%7BBCF1D6B6-D217-4514-843F-23833A7E6A17%7DImg400.jpg&f=1

Briefly, what is it about? I’m intrigued now.

https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F_nk14hw_coBQ%2FSwN-__NqArI%2FAAAAAAAAA50%2FDKR5I8fkT4I%2Fs1600%2Fcall-of-the-wild.jpg&f=1[/QUOTE]

LOVED this book. Never read it before last year for some reason.

Stirchley

05-11-18, 03:52 PM

44408

Wasn’t too bad, but went on & on. Got fatigued & decided to get a refund before my 7 days trial ended.

Hey Fredrick

05-11-18, 06:35 PM

Briefly, what is it about? I’m intrigued now.

At it's core it's about a teenage girl and her younger sister who are sent to live with their divorced aunt and her sons after a car crash kills both of their parents. The aunt is all kinds of messed up, as are her kids, and eventually they (along with other neighborhood kids) begin to torture the older sister. Now, I don't want to give the impression that it's torture porn because it isn't. It cuts way deeper than that. It explores some of the same themes as The Lord of the Flies just much, much, much more disturbing. I'm a huge fan of horror and I've never read anything that gut punched me like this.

Get done with this one and you just want to read some Shel Silverstein for a week.

Stirchley

05-11-18, 07:17 PM

@hey Frederick, I loved the movie version of Lord of the Flies, but never read anything like this book you describe. Will Wiki Jack Ketchum & maybe add book to my amazon wishlist. Never heard of Shel Silverstein either.

Hey Fredrick

05-12-18, 08:21 AM

Shel Silverstein wrote a bunch of childrens books and poetry (after his stint at Playboy - go figure). They're a lot of fun. Him and Judy Blume were my favorites as a kid.

pahaK

05-23-18, 03:00 AM

https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1403941598l/18077752.jpg

Finally finished the last part of the trilogy.

I still don't understand why this was three separate books instead of one. First book was nothing more than extended introduction while books two and three were the main story. It would have worked better with little more editing and as a single volume.

Third books was slightly worse than second mostly because the biologist / Ghost Bird has too much to say (she's really boring). Rest of the narrators work fine (lighthouse keeper and director were my favorites).

I'd probably give this one 3/5 and same 3/5 for the whole trilogy.

UpgradeYourDad

05-23-18, 03:07 AM

I finally finished Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick. It’s been on my bucket list for years and I ultimately enjoyed it no matter how anti-climatic it really was. 3.5+

I also finished H. G Well’s The Time Machine. It was another bucket list project and exactly as great as I thought it was. A nice short and sweet story to read over about a day or so. 4+

I’m also diving into The Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard. I haven’t read it since my first go at college and absolutely adored it. Read it and James A Garfield will be your favorite president. It’s simply too tragic what happens to him. 4.5.

Stirchley

05-23-18, 03:48 PM

Good stuff. Loved his amusing excoriations of his fellow actors.

44721

Stirchley

05-25-18, 03:23 PM

44738

Did not like. Returned for refund.

chawhee

05-28-18, 01:02 AM

Doctor Sleep (2013) by Stephen King
3.5
My wife convinced me to read this one together with her since we both loved The Shining. I've never been totally sold on King's writing style, but this story was easy to follow given our familiarity with the characters and plot already. I thought there was a thorough enough backstory given before building up to the climax, and the ending already seems well suited for a movie production.

Stirchley

05-28-18, 03:49 PM

44786

Excellent memoir of pledging to a fraternity. Or trying to. Movie was actually better than the book, but the book is good.

44787

Supposed to be a classic American read, but too long-winded for me. Returned for refund.

Stirchley

06-01-18, 12:59 PM

44867

Good book. American ex-pats in Brazil. Written by a man from a woman’s perspective.

Gangland

06-01-18, 01:26 PM

https://pictures.abebooks.com/isbn/9780712634120-us-300.jpg

James Ellroy's White Jazz is hard-boiled, apocalyptic noir at its very best. I may have messed up starting with the last of Ellroy's "L.A. Quartet", because this seems to be the hard hitting crescendo of his noir writing (the only other book of Ellroy's I read was American Tabloid back in 2008, which, to my shame, I didn't finish). I started The Big Nowhere last week, which I like so far, but I gather that White Jazz is the only of his books told strictly from a staccato, slang ridden, first person perspective. I've been reading that Ellroy, Nick Nolte (after ripping off a ton of Ellroy for Mulholland Falls), and Joe Carnahan have, unsuccessfully, been trying to get White Jazz adapted for the screen. Carnahan churned out a script in 2007, which will probably never see production. The script is available online, and I hope to eventually read it to see how they could have adapted it.

Ms. M

06-03-18, 04:31 PM

https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438898196l/242006.jpg

?????
I don't know how to rate it. Awful, but I couldn't stop reading (and I don't want to repeat it).

Stirchley

06-04-18, 02:44 PM

44996
44997

Didn’t care for either of these. Returned for refund.

Stirchley

06-06-18, 03:59 PM

45100

This book got rave reviews, but I could not finish it. Well-written, but, ultimately, confusing to follow. Returned for refund.

Stirchley

06-11-18, 04:37 PM

45210

Excellent book.

pahaK

06-12-18, 02:14 PM

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/fi/thumb/0/0e/Musta_peili.jpg/200px-Musta_peili.jpg

A Finnish book about the evolution of horror movies. I read this couple of times when it was published in 1985 (I was 10) and dreamed of seeing most of the films (especially the ones that were banned in Finland at the time). Now it wasn't that great anymore and it was obvious that the writers were missing a lot, especially from Italy, Mexico and Spain.

Early parts were fine but from late sixties / early seventies more and more important stuff was left out. Also the writers couldn't usually see beyond graphic violence and mostly dismissed stuff like Fulci's zombie films as trash that has no meaning beyond showing repulsive splatter. There was nothing about giallo (except one faulted reference to Mario Bava'a Black Sunday). Also its filmography of 800 important horror films included stuff like Ghostbusters.

2/5 (including nostalgia bonus)

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61ooB56DHSL._SX337_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Another genre history and similarly the parts about early SF were good. Also I liked how the book included stuff from 18th (17th?) century (i.e. before SF was officially born). Everything up to pulp was fine.

From then on the book took heavy leftist bias and also started preaching about feminism, social justice, racial equality and all that. In short I (slightly exaggerated, of course) learned that all worthy modern SF is about the aforementioned themes while the rest is racist, misogynist and capitalistic trash not worth reading.

2/5 (good beginning tarnished by stupid latter half)

alexkevin

06-13-18, 02:20 AM

https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1442866592l/9276509.jpg

10 out of 10

The Alchemist is a novel by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho which was first published in 1988. Originally written in Portuguese, it became an international bestseller translated into some 70 languages as of 2016.

Now I am thinking to Read Mocking Bird

Stirchley

06-13-18, 02:08 PM

45282

Good book.

Stirchley

06-18-18, 02:29 PM

45408

British vet in America writes a memoir. Interesting, but she’s not particularly likeable.

45409

Memoir from a woman who is nowhere near as amusing as she thinks she is. Returned for a refund.

Stirchley

06-20-18, 03:27 PM

45455

Quite a good book. Well-written. I found the sex scenes to be mildly titillating though it is supposed to be a highly erotic novel.

pahaK

06-21-18, 07:07 AM

Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

It was OK. Very ironic and lots of exaggeratedly silly side characters. Main villain was quite diabolical but also so over the top that his threat was hard to take seriously. Olfactory emphasis in narration was well made but got little in the way of telling the story. 3+/5

GrantD2

06-21-18, 11:09 AM

IT by Stephen King - 3.6/5

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta - 2.5/5

Stirchley

06-22-18, 03:02 PM

I could not finish The Leftovers. Returned it for a refund.

Stirchley

06-25-18, 04:42 PM

45593

Good book. Funny how modern-day authors list so many people in their Acknowledgements. This woman listed over 100 people. Insane. Nobody wrote the book but her! She even said it takes a village to write a book. Imagine Dickens or Faulkner doing this.

7thson

06-25-18, 06:13 PM

https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/7bae32b0-d66e-4619-adb7-594c0b40f4f2_1.1b77d71b8e147f30dab724ca298e24a2.jpeg?odnHeight=450&odnWidth=450&odnBg=FFFFFF
This was a reread (like the 4th time) - still waiting on the next book in the series, talk about a long wait. This came out in 2007 and the 2nd book came out in 2011.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51K%2BUFFSJuL._AC_UL320_SR198,320_.jpg

A really good storyline and one I highly recommend. The author Patrick Rothfuss knows how to draw a reader in. Not sure why such a long wait, he mentions it on his website now and then but tends to be really egotistical and sick of his fans asking. I guess one day I will now if it was worth the wait.

Either way I love a good fantasy story no matter what and I give this a strong 4.5

the guy is even in the urban dictionary:

patrick rothfuss

A person who starts a great thing but can never finish it. In other words, the worst kind of *******
I wonder if that patrick rothfuss guy will ever finish his book?

resopamenic

06-29-18, 11:28 AM

https://i.pinimg.com/736x/02/c0/46/02c04623dc454c2676cf2569d3e30f89.jpg
3.5
Local translation kinda suck ass

Stirchley

06-29-18, 02:11 PM

I love Chekhov.

Stirchley

07-02-18, 01:18 PM

45800

Returned for a refund. Way more academic than I expected & loads of annoying footnotes.

Stirchley

07-02-18, 01:22 PM

45801

Well-written. A tad confusing.

Ultraviolence

07-04-18, 09:32 AM

It's been a while since I last post here...

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/berserk/images/4/4b/V22-Cover-Manga.png/revision/latest?cb=20170513173110
★★★★

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/berserk/images/8/8d/V23-Cover-Manga.png/revision/latest?cb=20170513173321

★★★★
The best Dark Fantasy of all time.

http://www.guiadosquadrinhos.com/edicao/ShowImage.aspx?id=126933&path=sa04910901_126933.jpg&w=400&h=580

★★★★★

http://www.guiadosquadrinhos.com/edicao/ShowImage.aspx?id=127897&path=sa04910902_127897.jpg&w=400&h=569

★★★★

http://www.guiadosquadrinhos.com/edicao/ShowImage.aspx?id=129611&path=sa04910903_129611.jpg&w=400&h=602

★★★★

http://www.guiadosquadrinhos.com/edicao/ShowImage.aspx?id=130741&path=sa04910904_130741.jpg&w=400&h=588

★★★★★
Go, go knights of Athena, can't wait for the 5th one.

http://www.thibaultserlet.com/uploads/5/6/7/2/56725141/400000000000000232768-s4_orig.png

★★★★★
Masterpiece --I've read it about five times.

https://d1w7fb2mkkr3kw.cloudfront.net/assets/images/book/lrg/9780/0071/9780007119318.jpg
★★★★
It drags for a while, but it's a very good book.

Marvel Deluxe - Capitain America Vol 1: Winter Soldier
http://www.guiadosquadrinhos.com/edicao/ShowImage.aspx?id=92094&path=panini/m/ma01112900.jpg&w=400&h=601
★★★
Good arc!

pahaK

07-04-18, 09:41 AM

http://www.thibaultserlet.com/uploads/5/6/7/2/56725141/400000000000000232768-s4_orig.png
[/SIZE]
★★★★[SIZE=4][COLOR=Red]★
[COLOR=Black]Masterpiece --I've read it about five times.

Whatever one thinks of his ideas / messages Nietzsche surely could write. My personal favorite from him has been Thus Spoke Zarathustra as it's more proselike.

Ultraviolence

07-04-18, 10:54 AM

Whatever one thinks of his ideas / messages Nietzsche surely could write. My personal favorite from him has been Thus Spoke Zarathustra as it's more proselike.

Zarathustra is also a masterpiece imo.

Stirchley

07-11-18, 01:18 PM

46004

Returned this for a refund. Highly reviewed, but political memoirs are not really my thing.

Stirchley

07-13-18, 01:50 PM

46060

Nursing memoir of a British nurse. Good book.

pahaK

07-13-18, 03:10 PM

Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

One of the rare occasions where I liked the film more than the book. There's nothing precisely wrong with the book either but I liked movie's dreamlike atmosphere more. Book adds little more depth to the fates of various people but overall the film is very faithful to the book.

3.5/5

Stirchley

07-16-18, 01:42 PM

46171

Started off well as a bird’s eye view of the White House as told by a former stenographer. Quickly devolved into a day-by-day account of the romances of this young woman though why she thought anyone would find this interesting is beyond me. 100 pages in & 200 to go, I called it a night.

Ms. M

07-16-18, 05:41 PM

Murakami - The wind up bird cronicle.
46180
I finished it, but not without difficulties. It was my first Murakami's book and probably the last.

SeeingisBelieving

07-16-18, 05:49 PM

Nursing memoir of a British nurse. Good book.
Good cover :).

SeeingisBelieving

07-16-18, 05:54 PM

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61ooB56DHSL._SX337_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Another genre history and similarly the parts about early SF were good. Also I liked how the book included stuff from 18th (17th?) century (i.e. before SF was officially born). Everything up to pulp was fine.

From then on the book took heavy leftist bias and also started preaching about feminism, social justice, racial equality and all that. In short I (slightly exaggerated, of course) learned that all worthy modern SF is about the aforementioned themes while the rest is racist, misogynist and capitalistic trash not worth reading.

2/5 (good beginning tarnished by stupid latter half)

That's a shame. I was surprised when I was reading Arthur Conan Doyle's Professor Challenger stories that there was a really early reference to a teleporter. Whether he was the first writer to mention such a device I don't know.

Stirchley

07-18-18, 01:57 PM

46227
46228

Both returned for a refund.

Stirchley

07-23-18, 02:24 PM

46332

Re-read. Excellent book.

Swan

07-26-18, 02:11 AM

Just finished:

https://i.imgur.com/749lr51.jpg?1

4

Very informative and interesting. Nice insight into natural gender differences between boys and girls.

Currently reading:

https://i.imgur.com/RTYeO1G.jpg?1 https://i.imgur.com/BYD6wWZ.jpg?1

jiraffejustin

07-26-18, 03:53 AM

Swan is 1984 a first-time reading for you?

Swan

07-26-18, 04:00 AM

Swan is 1984 a first-time reading for you?

Yeah. I have a lot to catch up on in the book-world.

jiraffejustin

07-26-18, 12:29 PM

Yeah. I have a lot to catch up on in the book-world.

As we all do. I was just curious, because that's a BIG one. Have you read Brave New World? I get excited when I hear somebody say they are reading one of these for the first time.

Sedai

07-26-18, 12:46 PM

Pandora's Star
Peter F. Hamilton

4

https://edwardbetts.com/book_covers/04249.jpg

Started a bit slow, but man, what a book. Well-developed characters and excellent galaxy-building, along with some imaginative concepts and a seriously bad-ass antagonist. By the time I reached the end (this morning!) I was over the moon for this one.

TheUsualSuspect

07-26-18, 01:45 PM

Briefly, what is it about? I’m intrigued now.

An American Crime and The Girl Next Door are based on this book. Two hard to watch films.

TheUsualSuspect

07-26-18, 01:48 PM

https://i.imgur.com/rjpY6Oy.jpg

4

Very well done claustrophobic thriller that has great character moments. One of King's best villains and an easy read.

Swan

07-26-18, 01:49 PM

As we all do. I was just curious, because that's a BIG one. Have you read Brave New World? I get excited when I hear somebody say they are reading one of these for the first time.

Nope! I definitely have that one on my reading list though.

Ms. M

07-26-18, 03:52 PM

Good choice Swan. I mean both, Orwell and Huxley. Maybe Animal Farm next?:)

Stirchley

08-06-18, 03:39 PM

46676

Excellent book. Enjoyed everything this woman has written so far.

Gatsby

08-06-18, 10:33 PM

https://i.imgur.com/6XECkIP.jpg

A collection of hilarious, candid, and most of all practical anecdotes about what a writer goes through. Lamott is person who isn't to point out flaws in your writing, while willing to offer encouragement on the way. It's a must-read for anyone interested writing as a hobby,

4.5

Gangland

08-08-18, 02:44 PM

https://www.jwkbooks.com/pictures/16574.jpg?v=1417035417

Even though I started Ellroy's "LA Quartet" out of order, jumping from White Jazz to The Big Nowhere wasn't that big of a stretch. While White Jazz is still my favorite, man, The Big Nowhere was good stuff - I'm kind of pissed at the LA Confidential (1997) movie for sort of ruining the character of Buzz Meeks. Though I've found out that I've been accepted into graduate school since my last post, I've already started the novel LA Confidential and three chapters in it is already vastly different than the movie. Hopefully I can finish it before I start school, I'd hate to put this on the back burner.

Stirchley

08-15-18, 03:18 PM

46977

Got halfway through this & then got tired of it. Well-written though.

SeeingisBelieving

08-15-18, 05:16 PM

Got halfway through this & then got tired of it. Well-written though.

Haven't read it but I liked the film a lot. It was interesting to see Julia Ormond playing such a relatively unlikeable character.

Stirchley

08-15-18, 06:26 PM

Good idea to put the movie in my Netflix Q. Forgot it was a movie also.

ynwtf

08-16-18, 12:50 AM

Gin.

Stirchley

08-17-18, 03:06 PM

Gin.

You definitely have the most obscure posts on the forum. Sometimes I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.

Stirchley

08-17-18, 03:06 PM

47028

Loved this short book.

ynwtf

08-17-18, 03:17 PM

You definitely have the most obscure posts on the forum. Sometimes I haven’t the faintest idea what you’re talking about.

Ha. Forgot about this. I was a bit buzzed and meant that for the Rate Your Last Drink Thread. This thread was top of the list and I assumed it was the right one.

huh. I guess I screwed that up too in that I didn't even rate it =\

Rey Skywalker

08-23-18, 06:08 PM

https://78.media.tumblr.com/b84bef621413f8d4b60dbc7589c396b7/tumblr_p6ffrroEyc1say5iqo7_r6_640.jpg

I read this book about for my book club. It's about a little girl whose father takes her away to live in the middle of nowhere, tells her the end of the world happened and everyone else is dead.

The writing itself is good, but the plot... Cliched, predictable and sometimes stupid. I would rate it 6/10

Stirchley

08-24-18, 12:02 PM

Rey Skywalker, try this one by Claire Fuller. It’s very good.47290

Stirchley

08-24-18, 12:05 PM

47291

Got halfway through this Flynn Berry book & bailed out just in time to get a refund. Book meandered all over the place. One of those books where, each time I picked it up, I had forgotten all the different characters again & had to figure out again who they were.

Rey Skywalker

08-25-18, 10:52 AM

Rey Skywalker, try this one by Claire Fuller. It’s very good.47290

Will do!

Stirchley

08-27-18, 01:53 PM

47402

Quite good.

Stirchley

08-29-18, 03:49 PM

47478

Returned for a refund. Moderately interesting at first then became tedious.

Ms. M

08-29-18, 03:51 PM

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/3/38/ThePrinceOfTides.jpg/200px-ThePrinceOfTides.jpg
4
Quite interesting.

Stirchley

08-29-18, 04:22 PM

The movie is good

Ms. M

08-30-18, 12:02 PM

I watched it long time ago. Now I want to rewatch it as I read the book.

resopamenic

09-01-18, 08:31 AM

47599

Ms. M

09-01-18, 09:56 AM

Sartre never was my favourite philosopher. I haven't read The age of reason. What do you think about it? What is your rating?

resopamenic

09-01-18, 11:08 AM

Sartre never was my favourite philosopher. I haven't read The age of reason. What do you think about it? What is your rating?idk, not sure with rating book. Probably 7-8 kind of feeling, could be great but through last few chapters the climax bit off putting
not sure how much can grasp it for now, but the thoughts, the dilemma he want to convey was interesting and the characters was meticulously written. the word exist, existence that circulated in character mind could be redundant and sometimes too much for emphasized - also there sometimes this "overdone" feel for figure of speech in character mind (probably more like local translation problem tho') -

the actual plot seems it could be solve relatively easy lol probably the idea just barely non exist pre world war or sartre just take convenience on that

Thing is, feel, he incited and questioned, implied idea that thing is essential for human existence but not so much for definite conclusion, yet, like how to properly cope with. Probably related because it was first book from the trilogy and part of his non essay idk

Ms. M

09-01-18, 02:22 PM

Thanks for your replay. I think I now now what is my proble with Sartre - I treat him as a philosopher than a writer. Maybe I should change my attitiude?

resopamenic

09-01-18, 03:16 PM

matt72582

09-01-18, 07:59 PM

https://d1ldy8a769gy68.cloudfront.net/180/978/149/680/928/5/9781496809285.jpg

rating_3_5
This is hard to judge. I give the author credit for embarking on this, especially considering he'd only write about non-living figures (Spencer Tracy, W.C. Fields). However, I don't know how hard he worked on this. Much of it I've read from Mort's own autobiography, as well as a recent book on comedy by Gerald Nachman, and the rest I've read from the top newspaper results. Jim Curtis says he was a fan since the 60s, so I expected more, especially considering he told the audience he has over 40 hours of tape, and that Mort was very co-operative and that there was nothing off-limits. For me, any information I learn about Mort is A+.

Ms. M

09-02-18, 08:37 AM

mm i guess so :D it was a really nice narrative to follow. Throw away (if) imposed philosophical idea and we got human characters that contradicting and questioning the choices they had/will make in life

It was my first with sartre tho' have you read other of his before
@Ms. M (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=96627)?
I haven't read this one. I read The Wall few years ago and it wasn't nothing special IMO. I even barely remember, what was it about.

Stirchley

09-03-18, 03:19 PM

47682

Read a couple of the stories, but not quite my cup of tea. Or maybe I just didn’t want to pay for a book I wasn’t mad about. Returned for a refund.

SeeingisBelieving

09-03-18, 03:22 PM

Read a couple of the stories, but not quite my cup of tea. Or maybe I just didn’t want to pay for a book I wasn’t mad about. Returned for a refund.

Do you own a book Stirch ;D:laugh:?

Stirchley

09-03-18, 03:56 PM

SeeingisBelieving

09-03-18, 05:10 PM

I own hundreds of books. All hardcover after I threw out all my softcover books since I now consider them to be tacky. Switched to Kindle, which I never thought I would do. Will go & count how many Kindle books I own.

Lost count, but over 100 Kindle books.

I found my copy of Charles Dickens' Christmas Books today, which is virtually brand new – and the newness and smell of the paper just brought back good memories.

I think I'd still get a Kindle or similar device in the future though, as I like the space-saving/accessibility aspects. However I think in terms of reading something new I'd always want a physical book in my hand.

Stirchley

09-03-18, 05:17 PM

I use the Kindle app on my iPad. I will never return to a real book. What I like best is that no matter how big the book is, it still weighs nothing on my iPad. Also, the iPad is backlit so no need to bother with reading lights in bed, which is where I mostly read. Great innovation the iPad & the Kindle app.

Ms. M

09-03-18, 05:20 PM

I own hundreds of books. All hardcover after I threw out all my softcover books since I now consider them to be tacky.
Don't judge a book by it's cover;)

Ms. M

09-03-18, 05:29 PM

I like old books and the one that somebody read before me. I know the joy from brand new one - the smell and white paper, but I like to think about books as a thing with some history. Some I get from my friends, some from my family members, the other from libraries and the other from antiquarian book-shop. Today I went to newsstand and saw the clerk, who was reading the book - polish fantasy and I started to chat with her. I like moments like this:)
I have never been using Kindle. All ahead of me:)

Hey Fredrick

09-06-18, 10:06 AM

https://images.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fpictures.abebooks.com%2FGDP%2Fmd%2Fmd6774805040.jpg&f=1

It's rare that I'll say this but I enjoyed the movie more. The book started off strong then, when everything should be speeding up to a conclusion, it seemed to kind of fizzle out. At first I couldn't put it down then I couldn't pick it back up.

SeeingisBelieving

09-06-18, 10:25 AM

SeeingisBelieving

09-06-18, 10:28 AM

Stirchley

09-07-18, 01:58 PM

47813

Terrific TV series & book. Loved both.

Rey Skywalker

09-07-18, 07:50 PM

47813

Terrific TV series & book. Loved both.

I didn't like this book. It was ****

Camo

09-08-18, 06:46 AM

The Hot Zone
https://i.imgur.com/lahk9k4.jpg

Man, this is probably the most horrifying thing i've ever read but it's also incredible. Earlier this year i got interested in the History of HIV, i didn't read any books on it (did buy And The Band Plays On though) but i did read a bunch of articles and essays and watched a documentary. Well this is about something similar but much much worse: The Biosafety Level 4 Agents. A group of related viruses the best known of which is Ebola, although there's more than one kind of Ebola the one we call by that name is the most deadly one officially called Ebola-Zaire (Zaire being where it originated or at least where the first detected outbreak was) and the less deadly but still incredibly lethal Ebola-Sudan now often referred to as the Sudan Virus which was the Virus at the cause of the first known Ebola outbreak in Sudan. Compared to these AIDS is a goshdarn sneeze, they are much more contaegeous (with them being airborne in some cases of course), they kill you much faster and more violently and the survival rate is much lower. They are also unpredictable to a terrifying degree and everything they've thought to be the case so far has later proven to not always be the case. This was written in 1995 so it doesn't include the most recent outbreak and historically i don't do well with diseases so i deliberately avoided reading anything about it while that epidemic was going on and since meaning i'm no doubt missing a lot of recently gained information, and i've not even finished this but still it's very informative and well written.

One of the best things about it is how he presents the characters/real people, he managed to get me to care about them making their demises/near calls/whatever with these viruses so much worse. One in particular had me close to tears about a young african nurse who had been accepted to a university in america and had big dreams of becoming an important doctor who of course contracted and died from it and that had a sort of not happy but something at least twist because she did end up important to medicine, her blood was the main sample the primary virus research lab in america used for a long time in its studies of Ebola. The human stories aren't the only devastating parts there's also the animals, ones who were caught and tested to see if they carried the viruses in the suspected place of origin as well as the monkeys they intentionally infected to see if they could cure them with various drugs. Anyway, yeah this is amazing. I'm not even finished yet, the thing i'm most interested in is the origins and while i know we still don't know for sure where they come from and what carries it (although it's largely thought to be Fruit Bats) reading the theories and the efforts scientists and doctors go to in an attempt to figure these things out is so good.

He goes into horrifying detail about the effects of these viruses it's probably the toughest thing i've ever read, barely made it past the first chapter with the description of the death of the French man in Kenya who contracted Marburg. I'm glad i pressed on though as he doesn't repeat it every time, he only goes into effects again if there's new symptoms particularly when he moves on to one of the different viruses. The book is downright terrifying, i've never found any horror books scary but this more than does it for me. Think the most terrifying thing i've ever read in a book is the end of the Zaire Epidemic. By the end everything has been destroyed, a bunch of uninfected people are quarantined with both infected people and infected corpses in a building caked with tainted blood. The scariest thing is that it just stops though and it's described as quietly descending back into the jungle to wait for another opportunity to infect a new host. A big part of the reason why i've got so interested in these viruses is because of how amazing and beautiful i find Africa. For example two people infected with Marburg years aparts stories are told and it's thought that they both got it from a place called Kitum Cave on Mount Elgon because that's the only place both of them definitely were. After reading that i watched a bunch of videos and looked at pictures of both the mountain and the cave and it's such an amazing place. Would love to go there, except i wouldn't because i'd maybe inhale powdered bat sh*t and end up bleeding out my eyes. Just shows you how cruel and sometimes ironic nature is haha.